The Girl They Called Jane
by SuperFreak85
Summary: John Shepard gave his life on the Collector base to destroy it and save his team. Now the team must find John's sister and convince her to take up were John left off. But can they make a hero out of someone who never wanted to be one in the first place?
1. Chapter 1

Garrus lumbered down the busy hallway toward the Dark Star club with Mordin and Thane flanking his sides. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, none of it had gone down properly. John Shepard had died back on that Collectors base to save all of their skins and now the Illusive Man had them hunting down Shepard's sister, Jane, to finish the fight that was coming.

Sister… Garrus couldn't believe it. He had known the man for awhile, been to hell with him, and John had never mentioned a sister.

"Back of the bar. Most likely place to find her. Turians and Salarians likely with her," Mordin rambled on as they walked through the front of the club, the hiss of the door getting lost in the music that vibrated through the place. It had come as a surprise to all the remaining team members that the Salarian doctor knew where to find her. Mordin had said the girl was Special Forces in the Alliance and had worked with him when he was still part of the Salarian Special Task Force.

Special… Garrus would have sworn it was the girl's middle name.

A roar of laughter erupted from a small table in the back corner, drawing Garrus' attention. There were two Salarians and three Turians surrounding the table, another Turian sitting in a chair. The seated Turian had a strained look on his face, one of his arms on the table, gripping a small human hand with his claw. Garrus couldn't see the human, his view blocked by the loud spectators.

"Arm wrestling. Human is Jane, no doubt," Mordin rambled on. Garrus looked to the scientist before casting his gaze back to the table.

"How can you be certain that it's her?" Thane asked, his voice low and precise.

"Arm wrestling. Taught me. Loves to test strength. Loves to spar," Mordin replied. Garrus shifted in his spot, just getting a glimpse of brown hair as a Salarian in red rocked back and forth on his feet.

"Her and Jack should get along then," Garrus said, his eyes looking to the scientist.

"Not likely. Would spar with Grunt. You, maybe." There was a silence amongst the three as they looked between each other, then back at the table, a yell of victory piercing the air.

"Fascinating," Thane hummed before they all made their way toward the group.

The closer they got, the more things came into picture. The aliens were dock workers, not C-sec like Garrus had originally thought. A slender arm jutted out from behind the Salarian in red and toward the Turian who had lost the human game they had been playing. Feminine fingers curled back and forth, gesturing the Turian to hand something over. His clawed hand reached into a pocket on his blue vest and pulled out a few credits before slapping them into the humans hand.

"There's half. I won't be able to give you the rest until later," the Turian said, his voice vibrating from his chest.

"It's always the same with you sticks," a raspy, but feminine voice spoke up, her fist tightening around the credits. Garrus stopped behind the group, his mandibles twitching in irritation when everyone in the group didn't notice their presence. He reached out, his gloved hand falling on a Salarians shoulder. The alien turned around, quickly drawing everyone else's attention in the group.

That's when Garrus saw her. Jane was tall, about 5'8", her body slender but trained for battle. Her brown hair hung to her shoulders in soft curls and her C-sec uniform fit her body perfectly. She looked at him defiantly, but with a spark of curiosity in her gunpowder grey eyes. Jane plopped down in the chair behind her and threw her legs up on the table, her black combat boots shiny as if they were brand new.

"Are you Jane Shepard?" Garrus asked, the group of aliens giving him a wider berth. Surprised eyes looked from Jane to Garrus and then back again.

"Yeah, that's me," Jane replied smoothly.

"I have some important business I must speak with you about."At that the others began to scatter, knowing that it was better to leave if someone had business with Jane. Her eyes narrowed at him before they shifted to the right, growing wide.

"Well I'll be damned! Mordin, is that you?" Jane asked, a smile gracing her face.

"Yes. It's been many years," Mordin replied, a small smirk coming to the scientist's face.

"What's going on Mordin? What's this business your friends talking about?" Jane asked. Garrus bristled, angry that she had dismissed him. Mordin looked to Garrus, as did Thane, waiting for him to answer.

"It's about your brother John," Garrus answered. Her eyes shifted to him quickly, her jaw clenching shut as the smile vanished from her face. A sigh escaped her lips a moment later.

"Mordin I'd rather talk about some more interesting… like your Drell friend," Jane said as her eyes went to Thane, a lopsided grin forming on her face. Thane looked at her non-pulsed. His hands help behind his back, his back ramrod straight.

"Is it true," Jane started, her eyes giving Thane the once over, "that _oral_ contact will give me hallucinations?"

Garrus started, his eyes blinking at her words. He looked to Mordin, who didn't look surprised, then to Thane. Thane just stood there staring at the girl in front of them. He looked back at Jane again, her eyes dancing with wonder as she waited for an answer. Garrus sighed. This girl was nothing like her brother.


	2. Chapter 2

Jane was silent as she walked into her small living quarters, the hiss of the door shutting her almost deafening. She pulled off her C-Sec uniform shirt before kicking off her boots. If the week hadn't been rough enough, Mordin and two strangers had to come and tell her that she was needed for some mission. That Jane was supposed to fill her big brother, John's, shoes. Jane cast her grey eyes to a picture sitting on her desk, the metal frame glowing in the florescent light overhead. She walked over to it, one of her small hands reaching out and picking it up. Her eyes raked across the picture, a feeling welling up in her chest… anger.

The picture was of her and John on the day he was shipping off to basic to become part of the Alliance. He was eighteen in the picture, his light brown hair still unruly and his grey eyes were burning with excitement. Jane had been fifteen then, her brown hair in a ponytail as she smiled at the camera. She still had braces then, something John had constantly ribbed her about.

_"We'll always be together."_

Jane heard John's voice ring out in her head, strong and crisp as it had always been. Her hand gripped the picture frame harder, Jane's knuckles turning white. Her breath becoming ragged, she threw the frame at one of her walls, a growl crawling from her throat as she flopped down on her bed. A faint sting to the eyes registered to Jane, but she quickly pushed it back.

That Turian, Garrus, had said her brother had died two weeks ago in the process of destroying a Collector base. Her brother had died two years ago, not two weeks. She didn't want to believe it now and she hadn't wanted to then, but when Jane looked at Mordin she knew the Turian was telling the truth. She hadn't waited for Garrus to finish his speech before she was on her feet and ready to go toe to toe with him. At the time she had only been able to think about knocking his lights out, but now Jane was glad that Mordin had stopped her from starting a fight with the Turian. She could tell by the way his mandibles had flared in irritation that he would have cleanly knocked her right on her ass.

Jane let out an exasperated sigh as she closed her eyes and scratched at her chest, the fabric of her undershirt shuffling underneath her fingers. Jane reached out for the light switch panel with her other hand and quickly flicked off the lights. His face haunted her mind, his smiling face almost condescending.

"You're such a liar Johnny," Jane whispered to herself, once again suppressing the stinging sensation in her eyes.

* * *

Sticks gave the wrench another hard twist before the bolt finally gave. He had been working on the same cruiser for days now and every time he fixed one problem it only uncovered another. As a coupling dropped silently into his palm it gave him a tiny twinge of nostalgia. He could remember a heat sink dropping into his claw, slamming a new one into his rifle. As he put a new coupling in its place he smiled. His life as a dock worker was much better than the one he had been living a year and a half ago, the life of a freelance mercenary. It was something he could only thank Jane for.

Working the docks wasn't bad. The pay was descent, the crew was nice and no one was shooting at him. Plus, the only other job he could have gotten was with the sanitation department and Sticks knew he never would have been able to stand the smell. He heard a quiet shuffling behind him before something bounced off the back of his head. He turned slightly, his gaze falling on the woman standing at his six.

She was in her C-Sec uniform, her brown hair in its on-duty ponytail, and had an extremely bored expression on her face. Jane's complexion was unblemished, except for the small scar that ran over her bottom lip and half way down the left side of her chin. The rest of her scars were hidden under her uniform.

"You got that money for me yet?" Jane asked as she came to a stop in front of the cruiser he had been working on, leaning against it with her arms crossed over her chest. Sticks scoffed.

"That was last night. Of course I don't have it yet. Why do you always have to be like that?"

"Why do you always have to be broke? I thought Turians were tight with their money?"

"Stop harassing me Jane or I'll have to tell dock security," Sticks said a laugh in his deep voice.

"I am dock security."

"Damn my luck then."

Jane chuckled lightly, her head shaking as she did so. It was something that he had always liked about her… her smile. Her smile made her seemed kind when she had that genuine smile on her face, unlike the one she was sporting at the moment. It was a forced smile, tense and hiding something. Sticks frowned at her as he threw the wrench on his work bench.

"What happened yesterday?" Sticks asked her. For a moment Jane acted like she hadn't heard him, her gaze looking down at the scuffed floor paneling. Then she huffed, her arms falling to her sides.

"They wanted to talk about John. Said something about a mission," Jane said, agitation edging its way into her voice. Sticks scowled, his mandibles flaring slightly.

"Your brother John?"

"Yep. The almighty savior of the Citadel," Jane replied, "Garrus also said that they needed me for a mission that John didn't get to finish."

"Who's Garrus? What mission?" Sticks inquired.

"Garrus was the Turian. The mission…. I didn't get the details. I didn't want them."

"But Jane…" Sticks started, his words dying in his throat when he saw the already solemn look on her face getting even deeper. Her grey eyes locked on something behind him and he turned. The turian from yesterday was approaching them, Garrus she had called him. He was accompanied by the Salarian from the day before and a new person, a dark haired woman in a black skin tight uniform. The woman was disagreeable, her blue eyes scanning over Jane in a disapproving way. From what Sticks could see Jane was ten times the woman the dark haired lady was. The trio came to a stop before them and Jane stepped forward, stopping by Sticks' side.

"I told you guys that I wasn't interested yesterday so please just leave me the fuck alone," Jane huffed.

"It's really important that you speak with us," The woman started, but Jane shushed her with the raise of her hand. The woman frowned in annoyance.

"I told your foot soldier yesterday that I didn't want anything to do with whatever it was that my brother was involved in."

Garrus bristled in his spot, his dark eyes narrowing at Jane. She just watched him, not faltering at all. It was a mistake for the turian to try and intimidate her because it just wouldn't work.

"Just listen Jane. Very important. Life hangs in the balance," Mordin said. Jane looked at him, a pained expression on her face. She didn't want to deny him, but if it involved her brother she would have nothing to do with it.

"Sorry Mordin… I just can't," Jane answered before she turned away from the group. Garrus stepped forward, Sticks quickly going on the defense and stepping in between the two.

"Your brother never turned his back on someone needed help," Garrus' voice rang out, making Jane stop. She didn't turn to face him but her back went ridged as her hands became fists at her sides.

"I'm not my brother," Jane said before she vanished into the bustle of dock workers.


	3. Chapter 3

Garrus sat at the abandoned mess hall table, his meal going unnoticed in front of him. A faint glow was coming from his pda that was lying on the table. The blue glow casted shadows over his tired features, his eyes narrowed. A cold, gunpowder grey gaze stared back up at him from the screen. Jane Shepard was written in bold white letters by her picture and under her name the word _classified_ was written in red text. Garrus didn't have the clearance anymore to look up the girls file and Miranda refused to tell him anything but the bare minimum about her. Mordin had only told him that they had worked together back when she had first joined the Alliance and asking the Illusive Man was out of the question.

It had been three days since her had approached her on the dock and every day that he tried to talk to her he only became more enraged. Not only was the human female being extremely difficult, the turian was like the girls shadow, constantly there to get in Garrus' way. Sticks… what the hell kind of name was that for a turian anyway? He had tried to look him up on the net but nothing could be found and the fact that Sticks was lacking any type of facial tattoo worried him. A clan-less turian running around the Citadel? There hadn't been one of those since Saren and everyone knew how that turned out.

Then the whole incident with the young Salarian dock worker just the day prior had totally set back any progress Garrus had made with Jane. It was the Salarian in red at the bar from the first day, the one that had blocked his view. Garrus had tried to approach her yet again, this time in Chora's Den. Thane had advised him about approaching Jane differently, but Garrus' patience had worn extremely thin. When Garrus approached her at the small table the Salarian had gotten in front of him, telling him to leave. Garrus wouldn't listen and when the youth had refused to move Garrus punched him, sending the Salarian into the table and knocking it over.

Garrus had never seen someone move as fast as she Jane had. She had been in front of him quickly, her C-Sec issue pistol pulled and jammed in his face. Her lips had been set in a deadly line, her brow creased in anger. The fury in her eyes had been undisputable as she looked at him. He could still clearly hear the click of the safety coming off as she released it with her thumb.

"I don't want to see you again, do you hear me Garrus?" Jane had threatened, "If I do I will blow that smug look of yours right off your fucking face."

Her voice had been cold and downright serious. When the Salarian, Roanin, put his hand on her shoulder, the safety of the gun was clicked back on before she turned and left him in his spot, fussing over the Salarians busted mouth as she went.

The creak if a panel behind Garrus drew him out of his memory, one of his hands slapping his PDA shut. He whirled around in his chair and saw Legion standing there, the N7 piece of armor on his chest plate a constant reminder of something lost.

"Census agrees that a different approach will have a different outcome," Legion's mechanical voice rang out, shattering the silence of the mess hall. Garrus sighed, his shoulders slouching.

"I know that…" Garrus stalled, finally realizing something. His spark of hope on finding something out about her not totally extinguished. "Do you anything about her? Have you checked the files?"

Legion's face plates flared in what Garrus could only guess was irritation. He was practically accusing the geth of hacking and he knew it. The light twitched back and forth in his head before he finally spoke.

"Jane Shepard was born on Earth. When she was fifteen she was enrolled in the Alliance Military Academy by John Shepard. Graduated at the top of her class. Everything else is marked as classified, decryption heavy."

That was definitely something he didn't know about her and even though it was impressive that she was a human and had graduated at the top of her class from AMA, it still didn't tell Garrus why she was being such a pain in the ass.

"Do you have any further inquires?"

"No that's it," Garrus replied, turning away from Legion. His small eyes fell to his closed PDA before he heard a quiet clanking behind him.

"Shepard said to give you this."

Garrus turned and looked back at Legion to see the geth holding out a holo for him. Garrus took it before looking back up at the machine.

"Why didn't you give this to me earlier?"

"Shepard gave specific instructions of when to give them," Legion finished before a whirling sound came from within him. Legion then turned and left, leaving Garrus alone with the holo. _Them _had not escaped him when Legion talked of handing out the holo's, but he was too involved with the one in his hand to think of any others at the moment. He laid the holo on top of his PDA before pressing the small green activation button. A blue static picture hovered in the air for a moment before John's face came into view. He had a serious look on his face, but that cockiness in his eyes was evident even through the holo.

_ 'Are you recording Legion?'_

* * *

Jane yawned as she walked lazily into C-Sec headquarters. After all those years with the Special Forces, babysitting the Citadel got down right boring. She knew it was her own fault she was in her predicament, but Jane didn't regret it for a minute. Sure, her job was fucking boring and any dobe with a gun could do her job, but the company she had made was prime. When she walked into the entrance of C-Sec Jane heard a low grumbling and looked over at the desk to her left. A grey haired man looked irked as he stared down at his computer, his blue eyes ablaze with irritation.

"What is it Bailey?" Jane asked as she scratched at the back of her neck with her bitten off finger nails. Her other hand reached out for a white cup on Bailey's desk, picking it up and taking a quick drink. Bailey peered up at Jane with a frown before letting out a sigh. The girl had no sense for personal it seemed… well except when it came to certain things about her.

"There's a situation over at the docking bay."

"What is it?" Jane asked, her brows arching in curiosity.

"I couldn't make sense of it, the communications fuzzy, but I did catch pushy turian, geth and…" Jane held up a hand to stop him. She knew exactly who the turian had to be, that pain in the ass Garrus who had been harassing her for days, but a geth? Now that was something worth going down there for. Jane tipped the cup to her lips again and took a long pull off coffee before she handed the cup back to Bailey.

"I'll go check it out," Jane said with a smirk. She walked toward the exit to the docks, her hips sashaying as she did. Bailey shook his head as she watched her leave, her gun bouncing gently against her thigh as it lay snug in its holster. She stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder, a smile on her pink lips.

"Your coffee's cold Bailey," She said before disappearing behind the door.

Jane couldn't believe it, a geth on the Citadel! It was the most exciting and fascinating thing she had seen since she was stationed there. Yeah, there were always confrontations and crime down in the Zakera Ward, but that shit was all laughable. She sauntered over to the small, but loud, group. The C-Sec officer was arguing with Garrus, the turian growing more and more aggravated. The geth stood beside him, the plates on his head flaring as he stood and waited. Then there was the Drell standing silent and ramrod straight with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked dashing and dangerous in his perfectly tailored leathers and Jane couldn't keep the smirk off her face as she eyed him. He would definitely be worth the hallucinations. The drell's eyes flicked quickly to her, unblinking and amused before he went back to the confrontation.

"The councilor knows we're coming," Garrus said, his voice irritated and gruff. The young C-Sec officer just scoffed at him. He was a young kid, no more than twenty, with a curly mop of red hair and a ghostly case of acne.

"You've already said that mister, but geth aren't allowed on the Citadel. Do you remember the last time they came? Almost destroyed the whole place."

At this the turian growled, his mandible flaring in fury. As he took a threatening step forward Jane advanced knowing that if she didn't the kid was going to get his head bitten off by some very sharp and pointy teeth.

"I heard there was a problem down here," Jane said as she stepped in between the two, her hand falling on the young C-Sec officer's chest, pushing him away slightly. Garrus was at her back, a snort from him going into her brown hair.

"Yes ma'am. This turian says that he had a meeting with councilor Anderson and that the geth has to go with him. Geth aren't allowed on the Citadel ma'am," the kids voice rang out all crisp and untainted. Jane sized him for a moment, taking the sight of him in. She would bet three korgan testicles that the kid had not fired a gun out of training.

"How about you run back to Bailey and tell him what's going on. He said that your comm was out. I'll take care of these guys," Jane said, jutting her thumb over her shoulder. The kid narrowed his eyes as Garrus before he nodded and walked back toward C-Sec headquarters. All was silent for a moment, Jane still able to feel Garrus' breath against her hair.

"You know I don't think you can do anything but piss people off," Jane finally said as she turned, her gunpowder gaze narrowing on Garrus.

"And you're nothing but difficult," Garrus replied, matching her stare. She was trying to intimidate him, but he would never let it happen. Only one person had ever intimidated him in his life and she was nothing compared to them. Her grey eyes fell to legion and she stepped over to be in front of him, one of her hands resting on the butt of her gun at her hip and the other hanging by her side.

"So you have a meeting with the councilor do you? I find that hard to believe. He doesn't see anyone. He's a busy man you know," Jane sighed. Her eyes never left the geth as she looked him over, her eyes pausing on the N7 emblem for a moment before moving on. When one of her hands reached out to touch him, his plates flared before his mechanical voice cut through the air.

"Jane Shepard, sister of John Shepard."

"Yeah," Jane replied in wilderment, her dark brows shooting up her forehead. Never in a million years did she think that a geth would say anything she could understand. All Jane had ever heard them utter where whirling sounds and clicks before she shot them dead.

"We are Legion. We have been waiting to meet you."

Jane reeled back on her heels for a moment. The geth had been waiting to meet her? Suddenly she felt like she had fallen into a bad episode of _'Life As We Know It'_. Her eyes darted to the drell then back to Garrus, her bottom lip twitching uncomfortably.

"We need to talk to Anderson. One of our crew is already there," Garrus piped up. Jane straightened, Garrus' words going unheard as a buzz went off in her comm. She pressed a finger to her ear before she spoke.

"What is it Bailey?"

"Just got word from the councilor. He wants you and your guests up in his office in fifteen."

"They can go alone. Their big boys," She answered back in protest.

"Nope. The councilor said for you to go to."

"Right," Jane sighed, "got it."

She could see a smirk come over the turian's face as he stood in front of her. he was being cocky and as if to prove her right his mandibles gave a quick flare as he crossed his arms over his chest. What she wouldn't give to wipe that look right off his face, but Jane knew she would never get her satisfying punch because it would lead to a demotion… again.


	4. Chapter 4

The ride to Anderson's office was the longest and most uncomfortable ride Jane had ever taken in her life. No one spoke the entire time, just the clicking noise from Legion ever now and then and the soft shuffle of leather whenever the Drell shifted in his seat. She still didn't know his name and she could thank Garrus for that. When Jane had tried Garrus had cut her off, robbing her of her fun. She glanced to her left, her cold eyes landing on the Turian. His blue armor was damaged, deep gouges in the top, making his neck and face more vulnerable. For a moment she wondered how it had happened, his face deeply scarred by the incident. Had it happened when Garrus had been gallivanting around the Traverse with John?

Jane found it strange that he hadn't replaced the armor, or at least had it repaired. There was no way that the shields would be able to generate to full capacity with damage like that and it just left him more open to gunfire. It left him extremely vulnerable and she couldn't help but think it was extremely stupid and reckless. He could endanger not only himself, but the whole team if he went down because his shield wouldn't generate. Why the hell did she care anyway? It wasn't like she would be going anywhere with him.

The shuttle came to a stop at the presidium, the swish of the airlock opening a heavenly sound to Jane's ears. She hopped onto the plated ground and sighed with relief. She really wanted to drop to her knees and kiss the ground, but Jane thought against it. She couldn't let Garrus see how much he got to her.

"Can you lead the way please," a voice rang out, all strong and proper with a quiet rattle.

"I know the way," Garrus huffed as he walked forward, "I've been there eleven times."

Jane scoffed as she shook her head, drawing the Turians attention. Did he want to have a pissing contest, because that's what it sounded like to her? She wouldn't stoop to that level.

Okay… maybe just once.

"I've been there forty-seven times," Jane replied as she pulled ahead of him, knocking him in the arm as she passed. Garrus stood stock still for a moment, his fingers twitching, before he picked up his pace.

Thane watched in disbelief and mild amusement as the two pulled away from him and Legion. His mind flashed to Yeoman Kelly Chambers and how she had, had that crush on Garrus when she was still alive. What would she have thought of her suave, tough Turian now? And even though he hadn't known Shepard as long as some of the others, Thane knew Shepard would have found amusement in his best friend and little sisters behavior.

"We should follow," Legion spat out, his mechanical voice drawing Thane from his thoughts. He looked over at the geth, his lids blinking rapidly before he nodded in agreement.

* * *

The door to Anderson's office hissed open and Jane quickly composed herself. After the last time she went into his office unprepared Jane vowed to never do it again. Anderson turned in her direction, his old eyes tired. Jane gave him a nod before her gaze drifted to the dark haired woman at his side. To say everything about this particular woman was perfect was not an overstatement. The woman looked as if she walked right out of every man's wet dream. Even her black skin tight suit with the yellow and white Cerberus crest on the left breast was enough to get any male hot under the collar, human or not.

Jane recognized the woman as the one that had tried to talk to her a few days prior, but that wasn't what surprised Jane. She wanted to know what the hell a Cerberus agent was doing in the councilor's office. And why the hell was she playing escort to the three beside her when Garrus obviously knew where he was going.

"Councilor Anderson I brought then for you like you requested so I'll be on my way," Jane said, ready to snap a lazy salute when Anderson stopped her.

"You're the real reason for this meeting Jane," he said, his voice short and to the point as always.

"What are you talking about sir?" Jane asked, her brow furrowing in frustration.

"Your new assignment," the woman said. Jane took a quick glimpse at her from the corner of her eye before giving Anderson her full attention. Anderson's arms dropped from behind him and hung limply at his sides before he started pacing around his office. He had that look on his face, the one he got when he was really worried and when Anderson was worried it was always something huge.

"Over the past week Ms. Lawson here has been kind enough to share her information with myself and the rest of the council. The evidence is irrefutable; the other councilors can no longer ignore the threat that your brother gave his life fighting against."

Anderson turned and looked at Jane, a look of confusion and dread on her pretty face. Then when it registered that he had mentioned John her face hardened. He sighed. She was so stubborn, just like her brother.

"And what would that be exactly?" she asked.

"The Reapers. They've come back from whatever place they have been hiding to destroy life as we know it," he finished. The room fell quiet for a moment, tension heavy in the air. Then she laughed, a feminine laugh of disbelief that made Anderson frown at her.

"Reapers, sir?" Jane inquired as she scratched at the back of her neck. "They're just some story we tell in basic to scare each other."

"Dammit Jane this isn't a joke!" Anderson said, tossing something at her roughly. She caught it against her chest and looked down. It was a still taken of ships, to many to count, entering space through some sort of veil. They looked just like that ship _Sovereign_ that had crashed into the Citadel a few years back. There was no way… they were real?

"Cerberus and the Alliance have come to a truce to finish this fight once and for all. The team your brother commanded will be the lead team, knowing the most and having fought the Reapers and their collectors."

Jane didn't say anything, her eyes still glued to the still.

"You are to lead the team Jane," Anderson finished. Her head snapped up, her grey eyes narrowing as she tossed the still back to him.

"No, I'm not leading anything," Jane stated.

"It's already been decided. You…"

"I don't care! I'm not leading the team! Do you remember what happened the last time I lead a team? Everyone died! John was the leader, not me!" Jane exclaimed as she turned to leave.

"It's not a decision, it's an order! Dammit Jane you have no choice. To deny the council is treason which is punishable by death! You would be executed!" Anderson spat. Jane froze, her breathing heavy. She knew she had to do it; there was no way out of it, but she didn't understand why it had to be her. She wasn't a fucking leader… a hero. She didn't want to be one; all it did was get you killed.

"Commander Alenko will be working with you as part of the Alliance…" Jane didn't hear the rest of it, her mind working to fast to comprehend any outside noise. Her eyes wandered over to Garrus as she could almost see a sympathetic look in his black eyes. She didn't need his fucking sympathy and she certainly didn't want it.

"I'm sorry Jane," Anderson finally finished. Jane didn't turn to look at him, she couldn't.

"No you're not. I'm not a leader and I don't want this, but I'll do it. It's what every good solider does, right? Their duty? I'll contact you tomorrow for more details," Jane said before she walked from the office. It took every ounce of her self control to not run from there as fast as she could.

_Author's note: I just want to thank everyone who is reading and also commenting. Comments are always welcome and constructive criticism is as well. I want to know what you guys think, what you think is good and what I'm getting wrong. Anderson was the hardest person I've written so far…man. Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy! _


	5. Chapter 5

Jane watched absentmindedly as the green liquid in her glass bubbled slightly. It was her fourth glass and Jane knew if she kept drinking she would be thrown out of the bar, unconscious no doubt. It wouldn't be the first time and as she looked over at the asari bartender she could tell the female was expecting it, the knowing look in the old ladies perfect face. Damn asari's and their timelessness. Her hand reached out and snatched the cup up and brought it to her lips. The liquor was warm, almost too warm, as it coursed down her throat.

As Jane pulled the glass away from her lips she gazed in at the contents. Even though she had been drinking the same drink for years now she could never remember the name. It was turian though, Jane did know that. She had a high tolerance for anything turian, where her brother, on the other hand, was allergic.

John, he… Jane shook her head before downing the rest of her drink, some of her light brown hair coming loose from her ponytail and hanging limply in her face. Two human females walked passed her place at the bar, giggling at the boys that where following them. A defeated sigh escaped her mouth as her shoulders sagged. What she wouldn't give to be clueless like that, but no. Suddenly it seemed as if the weight of not only mankind, but all kind, was resting on her shoulders. It was too much for one girl who hadn't even reached thirty yet.

Jane wanted to slam her whirling head against the bar top, anything to chase the thoughts of the upcoming nightmare from her mind, how could those assholes trust her with something so important? Jane was the worst candidate for a commander. Her life stopping thugs and finding lost pets for old ladies was a much better way for her to spend her time… but she couldn't forget the picture with all the Reaper ships. It burned in the back of her head unrelentingly. A sharp rustle broke her train of thought as someone sat down next to her. For a moment she thought it might be Garrus who had been dogging her since he landed on the Citadel, but when she glanced over her gunpowder grey eyes landed on a young woman covered in tattoos. The brown hair on her head was extremely short, the black tattoos on her scalp still visible. Her full lips were closed tightly and her jaw taunt. The woman was barely wearing anything, just a pair of brown pants and a strap like contraption across her chest that just covered her nipples.

"Give me a beer," The woman said, her voice aggressive and harsh. The asari barmaid nodded before pouring a beer and setting it in front of her. The woman took a long pull before slamming the beer back to the bar top. Jane finally looked away before downing the rest of her drink and motioning for another.

"I heard you were wicked fast with a gun," The woman drawled out, "even faster than John, but I can't believe that. He fucking beat me every time."

Jane's head snapped in the woman's direction, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Who the hell are you?" Jane growled out, her teeth clenched in drunken rage. The woman gave her a sidelong glance, her brown eyes dangerous as a smirk played on her lips.

"A… friend of your brothers," the woman replied, her eyes saddening for a split moment before going hard again.

"I seem to be running into a lot of them these days," Jane said, looking down at the bar top.

"Man I never fucking thought you would be so… weepy."

Jane fumed as her grip on her new glass tightened. She had to tell herself to ignore the woman because to cause trouble now would make things even worse.

"I mean Shepard used to go on and on about how awesome his sister was, how brave and strong she was, but all I see is some scared, broken bitch that's afraid to finish something.

Jane snarled as her mind wet blank. She reeled on the woman, knocking the stool out from under her. A blue glow covered the woman, making Jane stop herself. She was confident that she could have beaten the woman in a fight if she was sober, biotic or not, but in the state she was in now there was no way. Her head was swimming from the alcohol and her footing was shaking as she stood in front of her. Jane could see the asari barmaid on a phone, calling Sticks no doubt. Whenever Jane was causing trouble they always called him. He was the only one brave enough to take her on.

"Fuck it, I don't need this," Jane said, unclenching her fists and turning her back on the woman and the bar. She hadn't walked five steps before she heard a voice ring out behind her.

"What a fucking coward. You don't even deserve to have the same last name as him."

Jane turned, her shoulders shaking in anger as she formed fists again. The woman was standing now and though she might have been petite, she gave off a deadly presence as she stood there, her tattooed arms glowing blue.

"You don't know a damn thing about me!" Jane screamed, the flesh between her brows crinkling as she snarled, "And neither did that bastard!"

"Obviously not. He said you were some kind of hero, but all I see is a worthless piece of shit!"

Red, that was all Jane saw as she ran toward the woman, her fist drawn back, ready to slam it into her face. The woman gave Jane a push with her biotics, sending Jane staggering backwards into a hard torso. She reeled on the person, ready to strike, but a large clawed hand caught her flying fist. Sticks was looking down at her, his face full of concern and disapproval. Her head dropped, her eyes landing on her black military boots.

"I'm not a coward," Jane mumbled as her vision became fuzzy.

"No, Jane, you're not," Sticks said. Jane looked up at him, her eyes blank as she swayed on her feet. Then her eyes promptly rolled back in her head as she pitched forward, crumpling against him. Jane was out cold. He held her limp form against him as he looked at the tattooed woman and then the asari barmaid.

"How much did she have?" Sticks asked as he adjusted his grip on Jane.

"Five," the asari answered. Sticks frowned, his mandibles flaring in annoyance.

"Dariama you know she can't handle more than three of those."

"I'm not her babysitter Sticks. Besides, she was a paying customer," Dariama scowled at him, her dark blue eyes scanning to the tattooed woman before finally turning her back to all of them. Sticks looked to the scantily clad youth and huffed. What was with these characters bugging Jane lately? First it was the turian and his lackeys, then the black haired woman and now… this one was definitely the strangest. He had never seen so many tattoos on one person in his life. Then there was the matter of her clothing, or lack thereof, and the wild look in her brown eyes.

"What do you want from her anyway?" Sticks finally asked, his voice dropping low, aggression mixing with his curiosity. The woman smirked at him, an all knowing and dangerous smile that made him pull Jane closer to him.

"Just wanted to meet the new commander, that's all. Wanted to see if she was everything he said she's be," the woman answered. Sticks was quiet as he regarded the woman. Jane….commander?

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough," She said before turning on her booted heel and walking away from him. He blinked before he picked Jane up and threw her over his shoulder. He wanted to know what the hell that woman was talking about, but he had to get Jane back to her apartment first. After he did that then he could get his answers and Sticks had a hunch on where exactly he would get them.

* * *

_'Trust her Garrus, like you did me. And be there for her. She'll need someone watching her back.'_

Garrus watched the holo version of John fade before he turned the holo off. It was the third time he had watched that damn holo and all those things John had said about her seemed false, except the stubborn part. He didn't want to think about her and how she stood there in Anderson's office, defiant rage shaking her narrow shoulders. Then there was that look in her eyes when she glanced at him, a look of pure dread and sadness. No, he couldn't think about her, not when he had calibrations that needed to be finished.

"Um, Garrus, there's a turian out on the docking strip demanding to talk to you. He says it's about the commander's sister. He looks really pissed," Joker's voice rang out from the overhead comlink. Garrus swore before he headed out of the main battery.

Damn, it was the last thing he needed at the moment, dealing with her clanless turian pet. When he finally exited the Normandy he saw Mordin standing there with the turian who had a shocked look on his face. The turian saw Garrus and marched forward, Mordin following at a leisurely pace.

"I'm going with her. Sign me on as part of the crew now or later, but I'm going and here is no changing my mind."

Garrus' mandibles flared in irritation as he looked Sticks over. They were about the same size, but Sticks had more muscle on him from working hard labor on the docks and no matter how hard Garrus tried, he couldn't intimidate him.

"Mordin, Dammit," Garrus growled as he looked to the scientist. Mordin shrugged, his large eyes blinking.

"Seemed like right option. Trust. If there isn't people Jane can trust she won't perform at her best. Too much stress when worrying someone will stab you in the back," Mordin rambled.

Garrus stayed quiet for a moment, looking back and forth between the two; Sticks' face full of determination and Mordin's face blank as always so you couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was right though, about the trust thing. Back when Shepard had first found him on Omega and Garrus had joined the Cerberus crew, his trust for Shepard and Shepard's for him was the only thing that kept him there.

"Doesn't she trust you?" Garrus asked the Salarian.

"Yes, but the more the merrier, the humans would say. Strength is in our numbers."

"I'll be back tomorrow," Sticks said, "And I better be on that list by then."

"I don't have the authority to do that. Only the commander does and he's dead!" Garrus fumed. This guy was fucking unbelievable.

"No, the commander is passed out in her apartment right now and there is no way she will say no to me," Sticks replied with a smirk. Garrus frowned as he watched Sticks turn and leave them on the docking strip.

"Is there any chance in hell that she will say no to him?" Garrus asked, no hope whatsoever in his voce.

"Highly improbable," Mordin replied, much to Garrus' dismay.


	6. Chapter 6

_ Screaming filled the hanger as Jane scrambled back, griping for her rifle, dust clouding the air as the huge monster thrashed about, flinging a lifeless body across the hanger. The thud of the body connecting with the wall was swallowed by the roar that came from the Thresher Maw. _

_ "Fall back!" Jane yelled as she popped a flurry of rounds off. The hide of the monster gave under the bullets and the thing let out a howl. She scrambled behind an overturned Mako, her chest heaving under the grey and blue N5 armor._

_ "Dammit, we're fucked!" A boy yelled as he fell down beside her, his back crashing against the Mako's undercarriage._

_Jane looked over at him and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He looked at her, his green eyes shining with fear… and was that excitement? His helmet was gone, his short blonde hair a spiked mess on his head and his black and red N3 armor was scratched and heavily splattered with blood. Then he smiled at her, the smile he always gave Jane when she knew she was scared out of her mind. Leave it to Georgie to be excited still when they were surrounded by carnage._

"_We need to call for backup!" Georgie yelled._

"_I did! There wasn't an answer! We're right in the middle of a goddamn nest!" Jane exclaimed as she slammed another clip into her rifle. She leaned out, her eyes scanning the scene. The Thresher Maw was gone, the only thing left being a gigantic hole in the ground and a sea of dead comrades and civilians all they could hear was their heavy breathing. Her hands tightened around the rifle as she went back behind cover. It would be back, they always came back._

"_I'm sure the distress signal was set before everything went straight to hell," Georgie said as he stood from his spot. "What should we do now Jane?"_

_Jane looked up at him before she stood, watching as he threw his shotgun over his shoulder. Out of all the people that worked under her, Georgie was the only one that dared to call her by her name and not by rank._

"_We need to get to the radio tower and make sure that the signal was sent out. It will be safer up there. Keep an eye out for any breathers on the way. We can't be the only ones left," Jane replied as she kicked an empty helmet that lay in front of her. She watched as it skidded into the shadows, a thud sounding off as it collided with a large chunk of cement that had been a basketball court just a few hours ago._

"_Rog…" Georgie started. A vibration shook the ground around them. An explosion of dirt and smoke erupted between them, knocking Jane back against the Mako. It was so close, the hard grey scales of it more visible than she ever wanted them to be. It wailed before bending down and seizing Georgie by the shoulder and head. Jane shot at the thing frantically, a scream of agony ripping through the chaotic air._

* * *

Jane bolted upright, her grey eyes snapped open as she panted for air. Her whole body was covered in a sheen of sweat, her fists full of blue sheets. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a figure sitting in her desk chair, facing her. Jane's eyes closed as she sighed. Damn, her head was killing her.

"Tuchanka?" The person asked, his voice coming out as a rumble from deep within his chest.

"Akuze," She replied. As she turned her head toward him, her eyes slowly opening, she spotted four bags sitting at the turian's feet.

"Where are you going Sticks?"

"Got signed onto the Normandy," He replied, "Heard they were going on a mission and I figured they could use my help."

Jane's head snapped up to look at him. He looked so nonchalant as he slouched in the black leather chair with one hand resting on an arm rest while the other scratched at his chin.

"And who authorized that?"

"The Commander of course. Rumor has it that she's a real fox… for a human that is." Jane laughed at that, a small smile coming to her face. She went to speak, but he stopped her as he raised one of his clawed hands. "I'm going with you Jane and you can't talk me out of it."

"You could get killed," Jane said quietly, more to herself than to him.

"It's not a mission if there's no chance of death, right Jane?"

Her mouth twitched as he said it, Jane's own words from a distant past getting thrown back at her. Had she really told Sticks that too? Did she even believe that bullshit anymore? Jane had said that line to so many people, friends, and more than half of them ended up dead. She didn't want that to happen though, not to Sticks. He was the only thing she had left in the damn Traverse and fuck anyone who said she couldn't be selfish just this once. But when she looked back up at him, his dark grey face determined, there was no way Jane could bring herself to deny him. She threw the covers off of herself and stood form the bed, throwing her arms over her head in a large stretch. One of her small hands scratched at her disheveled hair before she let out a sigh.

"I guess it's for the best then," Jane yawned. "I mean who else could keep me out of trouble like you do?"

Sticks laughed lightly as he looked up at his friend. She had no idea how much he owed her.

"Nah, it's more like I'm the only one willing to do it." A sad smirk came to her face at his words.

_'Damn,'_ she thought, _'wasn't that the truth.'_

* * *

` Kaiden stood quietly in the councilor's office, looking out over the Presidium. He could still remember being in the exact spot a few years ago, leaning against the barrier with Ashley next to him while Shepard with Udina and Anderson. Now though he didn't lean casually against the wall in his armor, but stood straight in his dress blues, and instead of Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams with him it was a Cerberus operative in a skin tight uniform that left nothing for the imagination. She was beautiful, he would give her that, but Kaiden liked his women a little more on the imperfect side. The woman, Miranda he had learned, was growing impatient, a frown causing creases in her flawless skin.

"Is she always this late?" Miranda snapped out making Anderson's stride falter for a moment. He let out a sigh, his brow creasing with worry as his dark gaze dropped to the ground.

"She's young and it's a lot for her to process," Anderson said, sounding like a concerned father. "Learning about her brother, then putting this heavy burden on her shoulders with no way for her to say no…"

"Shepard wasn't like this," Miranda huffed as she crossed her arms over her ample chest.

"She's not her brother," Anderson said in a clipped voice.

Kaiden looked away from the two and back over the Presidium. His mind wandered to his deceased friend, the one he thought he knew so well. Kaiden had never heard of Shepard having a sister before. Was he the only one that hadn't known? Did Tali and Garrus know? Had Ashley known that Shepard had a sister? The swish of an opening door drew his attention away from the Presidium to a young woman standing just inside Anderson's office.

Her brown hair was up in a ponytail and her gunpowder grey eyes were slightly red as she gave them all a hard look. Her dark brows were arched nicely and the milky skin of her face was smooth except for the scar that ran from her bottom lip to her chin. She didn't stand at attention like she should have, but one of her hands seemed to rest instinctively on the holster of her c-sec issued gun. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her snug c-sec uniform shifting slightly against her toned body.

"Finally," Miranda exasperated, letting her crossed arms fall to her sides.

"I hadn't realized that there was a scheduled time for me to show up. If I'd known I would have shown up much later, "Jane replied, her voice defiant. Kaiden blinked at Jane's words. This girl wasn't going to take this serious? Was this really Jane Shepard, the girl he was expected to follow into the eye of the biggest storm in Alliance history?

"This is a serious matter Jane," Anderson huffed. Jane's eyes narrowed on him dangerously, her stance going on the offensive.

"And I'm cooperating with you. You are forcing me on a mission that I wanted nothing to do with, a mission that will most likely be the end of me and are putting me with a crew I know nothing about to fight an enemy I didn't even know existed until yesterday. Excuse me if I'm a little fucking difficult," Jane spat. Kaiden bristled, the military man angry at her insubordinance. She was talking to the human representative of the council, not some flunky she went to the bars with.

"Watch your mouth," Kaiden said. Jane's eyes flickered over to him, ablaze with anger. She looked him over once with as much scrutiny that she could muster.

He was standing defensively, ready for anything she threw at him. She had to admit that the commander looked good in his high collared dress blues, his back hair styled perfect on his head. He was attractive, but she wasn't into humans. It didn't take long for her to figure out just what type of person the man was… Alliance dog. Jane was loyal, but this guy was on a whole other level.

"Stand down commander, it's alright," Anderson piped in with a raised hand. Kaiden's stance loosened, but his angry eyes never left her.

"Jane this is…"

"Commander Kaiden Alenko, L2 biotic. Served on the Normandy under the command of John Shepard and was involved in the liberation of the Citadel and taking down rouge specter Saren Aterius. After the destruction of the Normandy he was promoted to Commander. About a year ago he was transferred to Horizon for classified reasons where he then became incapacitated and let most of the colonists get captured by the collectors. He then had to be saved by Shepard and his cohorts. Shepard's ex-Lieutenant… Alliance dog," Jane said, getting a frown from the other three in the room. "I edited it a little."

Her eyes stayed on Kaiden's angry expression for a moment before going back to Anderson. He looked displeased with her, but that was nothing new to Jane. He always seemed to have that face when talking to her.

"He's a highly decorated officer Jane and will be an asset to your team. He has been handpicked by the council and you WILL cooperate with him and all others onboard the Normandy," Anderson said, his voice stern. Jane grumbled for a moment before fixing her stance.

"Yes sir," She replied quietly, the defiant look on her face dropping slightly.

* * *

Outside Sticks leaned against the clean, metallic wall opposite of the councilor's office, his arms crossed over his broad chest while he waited patiently for Jane. When she had first went in he could hear raised voices, but now, after waiting for an hour, he couldn't even hear a murmur. It was expected though. When you were talking about classified information you didn't want anyone overhearing. He knew that from experience. Being loud and wreak-less was just another way to get yourself, or someone else, killed. The sound of the opening door drew Sticks' gaze away from the duffels on the floor to the people exiting the room.

The first one out was the dark haired woman from the docks a week days prior. Her blue eyes looked him over, full mouth drawn tight together. A light huff came from her nostrils before she walked off. The next person that came out was a dark haired man wearing dress blues. He had a put-out look on his face, but when his brown eyes shifted to Sticks the man gave him a nod of recognition. Sticks nodded back, his purple eyes watching that man. Was he going to be on the Normandy as well? A sigh drew his attention back to the door to see Jane looking at him, a small smile on her face.

"Who was that guy? Friend of your brothers?" Sticks asked as he reached down and picked up the duffels.

"Yep, and newly stationed to the Normandy," Jane replied, her eyes going to the man's retreating back.

"More people for you to pester." Jane laughed as she began to walk down the hallway towards the transit station.

"At least you'll be with me Sticks," She said as she clapped him on the shoulder.

"You always have me Jane, you know that," Sticks said, his gaze falling to the side of her face. Jane didn't look at him, just continued to walk forward, but the way her mouth twitched at the corners told him that she was pleased.

"Good," Jane finally said, "Now let's go check out the ship."

* * *

Authors note: Thanks for all the fave's and alerts, but please for the love of Garrus review. It's a great motivator and Dude can't be my only reviewer… he's my cousin and I make him. So please review if you like it or even if you hate it. Reviews are like oxygen to us writers.


	7. Chapter 7

Garrus' footfalls echoed off the main batteries walls on his way to the elevator. The chattering of the crew members in the mess hall assaulted him as he walked through, nodding at the cook as he passed him. When one of his hands reached out for the elevator button its doors opened and Miranda stepped out. She had a disgruntled look on her face and he caught himself stepping away from her. Miranda wasn't one to let her emotions show around someone like him which could only mean one thing…

"She'll be here within the hour," Miranda said before she walked away from him. Garrus went to get into the elevator, but Miranda's voice stopped him, one of his legs in the opening. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder before she continued, "There's an old friend of yours up on the bridge, reassigned."

"Right, thanks," Garrus replied before stepping on the elevator, the doors shutting quietly behind him. He had heard rumors that an old team member from the original Normandy was going to be joining the crew, it had gone around the ship like wildfire thanks to Joker, but to have it actually confirmed was somewhat of a relief. Garrus' eyes scanned the elevator, a sense of nostalgia washing over him briefly.

He could remember that one time on Feros when Kaiden, Shepard and himself had gotten stuck in an elevator for three hours. They had been sent there to pick up any scrap geth that could be used for research. The colonists and scientists had failed to tell them that the elevators weren't working properly. They had learned a lot about each other in that three hours and they had all agreed that Tali was probably one fine piece of tail under her envirosuit. The elevator came to a stop before the doors slid open. Garrus exited quietly and headed straight for the bridge, excited to see an old friend even if the last time they had seen each other it hadn't ended on the best of terms. A lot of things had changed since Horizon and if Garrus knew anything about Kaiden it was that the man hadn't volunteered to work on a Cerberus ship, but was posted there by the Alliance. Kaiden, such a loyal solider, much more loyal than he had ever been.

When he stepped onto the bridge two sets of eyes looked over at him, their voices dying out as he walked past Kaiden and leaned against the helm. He looked his old friend up and down before smiling.

"Come to fight the good fight?" Garrus asked. Kaiden laughed, shaking his head.

"I can't let you guys do it alone now can I?" He answered. There was a pause before Garrus finally spoke.

"Good to have you back. We need some more of the old team around, especially with the new commander."

Kaiden huffed in disapproval, getting a look from Garrus and the pilot who had suddenly become silent. Garrus sighed; he wasn't the only one that didn't get along with her it seemed. Well she was off to a good start and the girl hadn't even stepped foot on the damn ship yet.

"Yeah, she's a pain that's for sure. She should be here anytime. She left the councilors office the same time Miranda and I did," Kaiden said.

"I think you should show her around," Garrus said, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the helm.

"Me? This is my first time on this ship, why would I show her around Garrus," Kaiden huffed as he looked at his turian friend in annoyance. He was no longer in his dress blues, but his fatigues instead. There was no need for formality anymore. A short laugh came from the helm seat, drawing their attention. Joker scratched at his stubble before his fingers started typing rapidly on his keyboard. He looked up at them from underneath is SR2 hat, his green eyes mischievous as always.

"Since when have the two of you been afraid of a girl?" Joker asked with a smirk.

"Have you met her?" Kaiden inquired. Joker arched an eyebrow at him.

"No, but I've seen a picture. I wouldn't mind if she got a little rough with me," he paused as the two looked at him, "well, not too rough."

"If she pushed you it would probably break your leg."

"She's more liable to pull her gun on you than do that," Garrus added.

"Well then she should fit right in with the rest of you crazy people," Joker said. Garrus and Kaiden looked up at him incredulously, one of Kaiden's eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Says the guy with the A.I. girlfriend," Garrus scoffed.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Jeff and I have a strictly professional relationship Mr. Vakarian," EDI's voice added, all eyes going to the blue orb next to the helm.

"It calls you by your first name Joker?" Kaiden said, smirking, "I think I'm going to have to agree with Garrus on this one."

Joker slouched in his chair, his eyes narrowed at the screen in front of him. He never thought that there would be a day where Kaiden and Garrus would gang up on him. It was the first time in a long time where Joker didn't mind being the one teased. It made him feel like things were getting back to the way they were before the collector base. With Shepard and Tali gone the ship had felt so empty, but now that Kaiden was there the emptiness didn't seem so vast. Sure, the surviving members of the new team were still around, but it wasn't the same. He missed the old team. It was good to have Kaiden aboard even if Joker knew that the guy was going to spout nonsense on how great the Alliance was from time to time. The guy might have been a hero, but he sure was naive. Oh well, Kaiden couldn't be perfect because if he was he would be more annoying than Miranda.

"It's sweet that you guys are fighting over me but I don't need an escort," A feminine voice rang out. Joker's head whipped towards the voice, his green eyes landing on a young woman standing just off the bridge. She was wearing a C-Sec uniform with her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, her grey eyes sparkling with something that he could appreciate… mischief. She had a duffle bag slung over her shoulder and another one was hanging from her right hand. Next to her stood a turian, his eyes hard, a total contradiction to the sly smile on his unmarked face. Then her gun powder grey eyes turned to Joker, looking him over with a small smile on her face.

"Don't flat…" Garrus started but was cut short when Jane spoke.

"You must me Jeff Moreau."

"Yeah that's me," Joker said with a little laugh. He knew that he was well known, hell how could he not be he had been the best damn pilot in the Alliance, but it was still a little surprising. He watched as she smacked the turian standing next to her in the chest, the turian turning his head to look down at her.

"This guy… I used to bet on the flight student simulations, it was a big thing back at the academy, and I always bet on this guy," Jane started, before she turned him, "I won a lot of money because of you."

"Call me Joker and feel free to share the wealth anytime," Joker replied, getting a crooked smile out of the new commander.

"As long as you call me Jane, I've never liked being called by rank, it always made me feel like some military lap dog."

The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife as he eyes flicked to Kaiden and then to Garrus before landing back on Joker. Joker wasn't sure what had happened between her and the other two, but the fact that there was already bad blood between them made him uneasy. She hadn't even been on the ship for ten minutes and he could already feel anger radiating off his two old friends that were standing beside him. The pause of silence was broken when she let out an exasperated sigh before scratching at the back of her neck.

"If anyone can tell me where my rooms at I'll leave you boys alone," Jane asked.

"Fourth floor, only room up there," Garrus said quickly. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"I'm going to have a meeting in an hour with the squad members, Garrus I would like you to tell them, well have it here on the bridge," Jane started before she looked back to Joker. "It was nice meeting you Joker, glad you're the pilot, couldn't think of a better person for the job," She finished before picking up her duffle and heading for the elevator, the turian following her closely. They were all silent as they watched her disappear behind the elevator doors.

"I like her," Joker said suddenly, making a moan of disgust come from Kaiden. Garrus shook his head before he spoke.

"You would."

* * *

The minute Jane walked into her new room she knew that it had been his. It smelled like him and the large collection of ships in the glass case was a dead giveaway. John had always has a thing for models, even when they were living on the streets. Jane let her bags fall to the ground before she stepped further into the room. The large fish tank was empty and the soft sound on the ocean was echoing through the room, another reminder of something that John had loved.

Jane looked over at his desk, his personal computer shut down and a fine layer of dust collecting on the top of the keyboard. He had papers everywhere, a stack of holos next to an empty coffee cup and a small display that held all the metals he had received throughout his service in the Alliance. Then next to it all stood a single picture frame.

Jane walked over to it, her hand reaching out and picking it up. It was a picture of John and a woman with tattoos all over her. She recognized the woman right away, how could she not. It was the woman from the bar the other night, the one that had provoked her. Her hand clenched the frame tighter as she continued to look at the photo. John had his arm thrown over the girl, a huge grin on his face as held the woman to him. The woman was smirking slightly as she flipped the camera off, her other arm around John's waist. The woman had said that they had been friends, but Jane never realized that they were that close.

"Sticks," Jane said, her voice a whisper as she continued to look at the photo.

"Yeah," he answered from somewhere behind her.

"I can't stay in this room, we'll switch okay and don't argue with me."

"Okay Jane, whatever you want," Sticks replied with a sigh.

Jane finally set the picture back down, her eyes still on her brother's face. She had only seen him smile like that once before, the day he left her and went to basic.

* * *

Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews that was awesome. I'm trying really hard with this story and sorry if the chapters seem short. I only have a very small window to write this in and I want to get all the characters as close to their personalities as possible. Again thanks to everyone that reviewed and don't forget to review again, you don't want to make Garrus angry do you? Oh and Joker demands that you review… he wanted me to tell you that.


	8. Chapter 8

Jane frowned as she looked at the small group gathered before her. Only five had shown up and as her eyes traveled to Sticks he just shrugged at her. He had that look on his face, the one that told her he had been expecting this kind of welcoming. Damn him and knowing absolutely everything. Her gunpowder gaze lingered on him for a moment longer. Sticks was an exceptional specimen of the turian species. He was one of the tallest turians she had ever seen and his dark grey coloring made his green eyes more noticeable. His fringe was perfectly symmetrical and the only time he covered it was when he wore his helmet in battle. He was rugged and confident, his body muscular from all the years of manual labor and mercenary work. He could be crude and unforgiving, but followed orders when needed. Knowing nothing of turian culture he was more comfortable with humans, having grown up around them. The turians had been wrong in not taking him in when he tried to join their forces at fifteen. Sticks would have made a damn good soldier.

When Jane finally looked away from him her eyes scanned the others. Kaiden stood in his fatigues with his arms crossed over his chest and a displeased look on his face. Thane stood ramrod straight with his arms held behind his back, Mordin standing behind him, his large eyes focused on a data pad in his hand. Then sitting on the arm of Joker's chair was a young woman in a dark skin tight suit, her eyes shining out from under her hood, a slightly amused smile on her lips.

"I thought I told him to tell…" Jane started to say but her words died when she watched the new arrival enter the bridge.

"I informed the team commander. Garrus said he had to finish some calibrations." EDI's voice chimed in, making Jane's head shift slightly towards the orb, her eyes still fixated on the team member who had just walked in.

Jane still couldn't believe that a geth was on the team, not only that but one that could talk as well. Her gaze landed on the piece of N7 armor on his chest before drifting down to the gaping hole that she could see all the way through. The blue lights of his innards were glowing brightly off of his metallic exoskeleton, giving him a mysterious radiance. He had been damaged badly and she would guess that he had used the N7 armor in an attempt to fix himself, but where the hell had he gotten it in the first place? Could the geth still function properly with that much damage done to his body? She could see all the way through him, it just didn't seem right.

Jane had skills for working on machines, learned in the academy, and figured she could patch him up. She wanted everyone in prime condition to fight and if that meant fixing a geth and buying a turian new armor then so be it. She refused to lose anyone to mistakes that could be fixed, that should have been fixed awhile ago. What had her brother been thinking, letting them go into battle like that, especially that turian. Air rushed from Jane's nose as she turned away from the small group and to EDI.

Garrus… what a fucking pain.

"Calibrations?" Jane asked.

"Yes," EDI replied, her voice void of emotion.

Dammit, she had figured that it wouldn't go well at first, but it had turned out far worse than she had imagined it would. Out of the six of them that had shown up only three had come, not out of friendship or military obligation, but out of their own free will. Three of the nine was a terrible statistic. Jane turned quickly and leaned past Joker's chair toward the control panel. Her finger slammed down on at small green button, ready to give an angry speech for all the missing team members to hear, but instead a port side shutter closed over an observation. A slight chuckled came from behind her, making her look over her shoulder at the pilot. The young woman sitting next to him was silent but smiling. Jane could tell that those two were going to be trouble, but at least it was the good kind… she hoped anyway.

"If you're looking for the com control it's the third button on the very left. The worn out button," Joker piped up. Jane let out an embarrassed exhale. She took a quick glance at the small crowd behind her before turning her attention back to the control panel.

Garrus pushed the keys on the panel in front of him, his hands moving on their own accord. He had done the same calibrations so many times that he didn't even have to think about it anymore. It was a good thing though, his thoughts elsewhere. Garrus had the infuriating brunette on his mind ever since he watched her walk off the bridge earlier. He couldn't believe her, giving him orders like she was his commander. But she was his commander and even though he didn't like it he was going to have to get used to it. He should have done what she had said. He should have gone to the meeting. No, what the hell was he thinking?

A whine came from the machinery in front of him and he quickly took his hands from the console. Garrus sighed as he went back and fixed his mess up. What the hell was it about her that made him feel so… angry and, well he didn't even know. A crackle buzzed through the room as the overhead speaker came to life, her voice filtering through like some type of harpy. She always seemed to show up one way or another when he was thinking about her.

"This is Jane Shepard, the new Commander of the Normandy," She started. Garrus' arms crossed over his chest as he looked up at the speaker on the wall to his right.

"Now I know that not all of you agree with the fact that you have to serve under me now, but I was told to fill Johnny's shoes and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I know we all might not get along, hell I don't expect us to, but for the good of the mission push your differences aside, be they small or big as the damn Traverse itself," She continued. Her voice was commanding and crisp and Garrus could just make out the cockiness in her voice that he was rapidly coming to hate.

"This mission is imperative, not just for human kind, but for all kind. In order for this mission to be a success we have to follow orders. I am in command of this operation and when we are in battle I expect orders to be followed because if there not people get killed and I won't let anyone's pride cause a squad mate's death. You can fucking hate me if you want, but when it comes down to the fight think about the person next to you, the ones you've already been to hell with, and tell me if your pride is worth more than their life," Jane finished.

Garrus stood there in silence, his eyes still fixated on the silent speaker. Thoughts raced through his head as he let her words sink in. He didn't know what to think about what she said. She was right, but he wondered if she meant any of it at all or if it was all just an act. Was it an attempt by her to get more people on her side, pulling a power play, or did she really mean all that shit she had just said. If he had just gone Garrus would have been able to tell by the look on her face. Humans were so expressive. A hiss drew his attention to the door and he spotted her pet standing in the doorway with a large briefcase hanging from one of his hands. Sticks tossed the case to Garrus who caught it with a rough exhale. The turian had some power, he would give him that.

"What the hell is this?" Garrus asked as he looked at the thing in his arms. Sticks just sighed as he scratched at his fringe. He obviously wanted to be there as much as Garrus wanted him there. The battery was his part of the ship and he didn't need anyone encroaching, especially some clanless turian.

"It's from Jane. She said she wouldn't tolerate anyone on her squad having shit armor," Sticks replied, his voice hard and gruff. Garrus set the briefcase down on the railing and popped it open with one hand as he held it steady with the other. Inside was new armor. It was black with dark blue striping on it, new, top of the line turian armor.

"I can't take this," Garrus said as he snapped the briefcase shut.

"You can and you will."

"Look," Garrus started, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "Don't think you can come in here and tell me what to do because you're the new commander's pet."

Sticks let out a small laugh as he took one step further into the battery. He stopped in front of Garrus, his eyes challenging him. Garrus huffed as he stood his ground. There was no way he was going to let Sticks shake him.

"It's obvious that we don't like each other but I'm going to play nice right now for Jane's sake because she doesn't need any more trouble today, but let me get something straight. If you hurt her in any way or if she gets hurt because of you I swear I will kick your tattooed ass."

Garrus let out a low laugh as he looked away from Sticks for a moment before his eyes cut back to him, full of malice and rage.

"You don't have to worry about that. All you have to worry about is staying out of my way so I don't have to put you down," Garrus threatened. Sticks looked at him for a moment, his mandibles flaring before he smirked. Then just how he arrived, he left with the hiss of the door closing behind him.

It was eerie to her, the A.I. core of the Normandy. It was small, dark and the red lighting gave it a sinister feeling. Not only that, but the lighting was terrible for fixing anything, especially an enhanced geth like Legion. So that's why she was sitting on the cot in the starboard cargo, her new room. The sparks from the arc welding gun were dulled by the orange tinted safety goggles, the heat of the sparks nipping at her forearms.

Jane had gotten some armor from Mordin, scrap armor that was used for upgrades. It was a deep red color and wasn't the best choice, but it was better than nothing. Legion had been quiet most of the time, the clanking of his face plates or a light whirling coming from him every now and then. Jane flipped the gun off and set it on ground before pushing the goggles back into her brown hair, wiping at her brow with the back of her gloved hand.

"It might not be the prettiest job, but it's better than a gaping hole," Jane said with a lopsided grin, her grey eyes looking up at Legion. The only reaction she received was the slight flare of his face plates.

She let out a sigh as she leaned back on the cot, propping herself up on her hands. The way he stood in front of her, his plates moving in an agitated state, told her that he wanted to say something. Jane was fascinated by him, she had to admit. He was a lot more interesting than the drones back at the academy and way more responsive than the Citadel keepers.

"Inquiry," Legion finally said. Jane sat up from her slouching position and looked at him intently.

"What is it?"

"You have elevated vital signs and stress levels whenever your brother is mentioned. Why do you have this reaction?"

Jane stared at the geth, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She wanted to be angry, but it was useless to be angry at someone that wouldn't understand.

"It's complicated," Jane said as she let out a sigh.

"Complications?"

"No, complicated. There are too many factors. You wouldn't understand."

"Census agrees that there is a lot unknown between the two of you," Legion said. She looked at him sharply, her eyes narrowing. She didn't want to talk about John and a change in subject was needed fast.

"What census are you talking about?" Jane asked, one of her eyebrows arching as she continued to eye him.

"We are a collective conscience."

"All the geth?" Jane asked.

"Yes. We think the same, everything is the same."

"Did all of you agree for you to have that N7 armor put on your chest or was that something that you decided on your own?"

Legion didn't answer for a long time. The light in his head swiveled side to side and his face plates flared again as if he were distressed by her accusation.

"No further data available," Legion said before he walked toward the door, "Thank you for fixing me."

"You're welcome Legion," Jane said. He turned and looked at her and her eyes fell on the patch job she had done. It looked like a very big heart. The light swiveled once more before he turned and left her alone.

Jane sat in silence for a moment, pulling her welding gloves off and throwing them to the floor. The room still smelt of hot metal but she didn't mind. It was a lot better than the smell of Johnny that was in every corner of his old room. Jane let herself fall back onto the cot, her head hitting the pillow with satisfying ease. A loud whine filled the room with a hiss following it, signaling that the trash shoot had been dumped. She looked over at the observation window and saw trash floating away and a smile came to her face as she looked back up at the plain ceiling. The view was good, way better than a model spaceship collection.

_**Author's note:**__ Sorry it took so long but I have been busy. And again for the love of Garrus and Joker can you please review. I'm very thankful for those who do but I know I can get more than four. I did get 12 one time. Let's get those kinds of numbers again. If you guys don't review I don't know what is or isn't working for you, plus reviews are like oxygen to writers. I hope the speech wasn't to lame… I was worried about it. Thanks for reading and please review!_


	9. Chapter 9

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_Jane dropped the spent heat sink to the hanger floor, reaching into her ammo pack for another clip. Her hand shook as it blindly searched the bag, her eye looking at the scene in front of her with horror. Georgie's lifeless body hung from the Thrasher Maw's mouth as it thrashed its body violently, debris filling the air around her. Then with a sickening rip the bottom half of Georgie's body disconnected where the beast had a hold of him and flew across the hanger._

_Jane slammed the new heat sink in and fired rapidly, making a scream erupt from the thing before it dove back into the ground. She stood still for a moment, her chest heaving as she looked around for a miracle. Her gunpowder gaze landed on a tan military jeep, with no top, in the far corner of the hanger. She knew it would take her thirty seconds to get to it. Jane took off at a dead run, slinging her rifle into its holster on her back. Her footfalls echoed off the ruined walls, her breathing heavy and her heart thundering in her chest. When she made it to the vehicle Jane yanked the door open and jumped inside. Ripping one of her gloves off with her teeth, she pressed her thumb down on the ignition pad, a breath escaping her lips when the thing roared to life._

_She pulled as she shifted the jeep into gear, the tires turning wildly on the gravel beneath them as she slammed her foot on the gas. Jane knew that if she was going to have any chance of survival she needed to get to the beacon that was situated all the way across town. Jane floored it, dodging as much debris as she could, her hands having a death grip on the steering wheel._

_As the tower came into view Jane slammed on the gas even more, getting every last ounce of power she could out of the vehicle. A hideous sound dwarfed the noise of the engine. The ground erupted in front of her, raining dirt everywhere as the Thresher Maw broke the surface. Jane tried to swerve around it, but the thing swung it body and smashed violently into the jeep. The vehicle listed to the side. She tried frantically to take control, but the knock had been too much. As the jeep crashed onto its side Jane was thrown from the vehicle, her body coming to a stop as she collided with a building, a loud crack sounding as her head connected with the concrete wall._

ooooooooooo

Jane bolted upright, her breath ragged and her body covered in a sheen of sweat. Another fucking dream of Akuze, the very last thing she needed. A whoosh filled the small room and her bloodshot eyes looked out the observation window, the starlit void filled with trash as it spilled out of the garbage shoot of the Normandy. Garbage… still a better sight than a collection of model spaceships.

Jane dragged one of her small calloused hands down her face, a mumbled fuck escaping her lips before she fisted her cream colored sheets and ripped them off her legs. She swung her feet over the side of the cot, planting them firmly on the cool metal plated floor. She stood, stretched and let out a satisfied sigh when her right shoulder let out a loud pop. Her gaze drifted to the digital clock on a small desk and saw that it read 3:47 a.m. a shitty time to wake up for the day. Her stomach let out a small grumble that had her reaching for the small pair of black shorts that were lying on a storage crate.

Jane pulled them on over her red underwear and headed for the door, her bare feet slapping loudly against the cold floor. Akuze… it had happened so long ago and yet still taunted her. A reminder of how much of a failure she had been. A small laugh escaped her lips at the thought. Had, it was more like WAS. With each step she took toward the elevator Jane pushed the reverberating feeling from her nightmare back down where they belonged. She would forever carry that bloody chip on her shoulder, but if she let it affect her now it would only get more people killed.

Before Jane reached the elevator a soft ding echoed down the hall as the elevator came to a stop. Moments later the drell, Thane, walked out. He was still wearing his black leathers, but his arms hung by his sides instead of held behind his back. His head turned in her direction, both sets of lids blinking, before he gave her a slight bow of recognition.

"Commander," Thane said, his voice sounding like a low, seductive hum to her. Somewhere in the back of her mind a past conversation entered her thoughts. It was said that one would have hallucinations if they had oral contact with a drell. It was never specified were the oral contact had to be, just that there had to be contact. Her eyebrow arched as she continued toward him, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Just call me Jane, Krios. I don't like the formality."

"If that is what you wish, but please if we are going by first names call me Thane."

Jane shook her head as she held out her hand to him. Sure, she was wondering what the hell he was doing down on deck four and at four in the morning, but there was something more pressing on her mind at that moment. Thane looked down at her hand for a moment before he finally reached forward and put his hand to hers. With a quickness that rivaled his own, Jane pulled his hand up toward her mouth. Thane felt the hot wetness of her tongue as she quickly dragged it across the back of his hand. She looked up at him, as sheepish grin on her face as she let his hand drop.

"Sorry, just wondering if the rumors are true."

Thane looked at her shocked, his double lids blinking. Jane didn't look embarrassed or seductive, just oddly curious. No one had ever pulled anything like that on him and he found it strange, but mildly amusing.

"I didn't mean to cross any boundaries… well, yeah I did, but it was strictly for research…curiosity," Jane rambles as she pulled down on the hem of her blue, rather thin, tank top.

"No harm done Jane, but let's keep it from becoming a common thing," He replied, a slight chuckle slipping out at the end. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed.

"Of course. I'll let you go back to whatever it was you were doing," Jane said with a smile before she sauntered into the open elevator, her hips swaying slightly and the sound of her bare feet slapping the floor filling the hallway. Jane turned when she entered the elevator and hit a button. The last thing Thane saw of her before the doors closed was the playful wink she gave him, her eyes glassy. Right then Thane was convinced that his new commander had no sense of boundaries what-so-ever.

_oooooooooooo_

Garrus sat quietly at the mess hall table. He knew it was early, but sleep evaded him. He had thought of doing more calibrations, but when he had spotted the holo from John on his desk calibrations were the last thing on his mind. He couldn't recall how many times he had watched the holo, but the more he did the more questions he seemed to have. The Jane John seemed to know was the one Garrus had seen. She was a contradiction of herself. One moment she was brash and offensive and the next she was giving an inspiring speech. And what was with giving him armor? His armor was fine wasn't it? Sure it was a little scratched from that time on Omega, but it still worked just as good… okay, the barrier never fully charged anymore, but that was his problem. The new armor was nice though, top of the line and extremely expensive, something he never would have been able to afford.

A rustling at the food kiosk drew his attention and he looked over. Jane was leaning into one of the pantries, her left foot tapping wildly making the muscles in her leg twitch with every smack her foot made with the floor. He heard a feminine giggle escape her as she pulled back from the pantry with a red bag in one of her hands. When she turned toward him his eyes were quickly drawn to her left thigh. From just under the hem of her shorts to four inches above her knee a large scar marred her leg. It was dark pink and he estimated about two inches wide. It looked like a wound caused by a blade, but the way some of the skin was puckered made it look like a burn as well.

"You're up early," Jane said, drawing Garrus' attention away from her leg and up to her face. She had an odd look on her face as she plopped down in her seat harshly. Right away he noticed her pupils were dilated and as she began to slightly sway in her seat he wondered if she had been at the alcohol again.

"I don't sleep that much, haven't in a long time," Garrus replied as he continued to watch her. She opened her eyed wide as licked at her lips before popping a chip into her mouth. When she pulled her hand away she flipped it over a few time, examining it with a surprised expression on her face.

"A survivalist thing," Jane commented, her grey eyes locking on her face. Garrus' mandibles flared under her gaze. "Can't really sleep because you never know when someone's going to be hiding in the shadows ready to kill you or nightmares of past losses. I don't sleep much either not since Akuze."

Garrus froze at the confession she had made. Jane had been at Akuze? She was that lone survivor? He watched as a smile came back to her face and she threw her head back, her brown hair loosening from her ponytail. A sigh escaped her lips as her chest heaved up and down. Garrus didn't mean to look, but it was there right in front of him… her shirt sure was thin and was giving him a peep of everything. Akuze, he couldn't believe that, that was her and did she mean to tell him.

"You know you remind me of someone," Jane's voice rang out, his dark eyes ripping away from her chest and up to her face.

"Yeah, wh…"

"Man it's really bright in here, and hot. Are we near a supernova or something? These chips taste funny, do you want one," Jane rambled as she held out the bag to him before quickly pulling it back. "Oh yeah you can't eat people food. Man I love turians….Georgie used to love these chips. He always ate too many. Wait, did you hear that? It smells funny in here."

Garrus watched her wide eyed as she looked around the room and continued to rambled on and make no sense. Something was definitely wrong with her and he didn't have to know her long to realize that. A disgusted look came over her face as she crinkled her delicate nose before she leaned over the table and got in Garrus' face, her breath ghosting against his rough skin.

"Nice scar, I like scars on guys…. Your eyes are really pretty," She said before she let out a giggle. The minute she started to lean closer to him, Garrus tensed, his voice coming out strained.

"Are you okay? Let me get you something to drink."

Garrus stood quickly and practically ran to the sink. He pulled a glass from the cabinet and quickly filled it with tap water. He didn't know much about human illnesses, but something was definitely wrong with her. He turned back around to walk back to the table to find it empty. Now where the hell had she gone?

_ooooooooooooo_

Life on a ship was so much different than life on a space station, a seedy space station to say the least. It was quiet and he could get his work done, especially at this hour. Mordin didn't need much sleep, maybe four hours at the most. He had always been that way and it wasn't just because his brain was always working, but that he didn't want to waist so much time on sleeping when his species had the shortest lifespan. Sure he had lived longer than the normal lifespan for a Salarian, but that didn't mean he would drop dead tomorrow or die from getting shot on this mission to save the universe. It was the most selfless mission he had ever done and he figured that maybe, just maybe, it would atone for some of his sins against the krogans.

Tuchanka. Thinking about that place made him think of the brown haired girl that was holed up in Zaeed's old room. She had changed since the last time and Mordin knew that Akuze, the loss of her brother and the love of her life had something to do with it. There were things that hadn't changed about her though and for that the scientist was grateful. He heard the shuffle of feet and as his big eyes looked toward the doorway he saw a head quickly vanish behind the wall, but the hands holding the door open were still visible. Mordin blinked as he waited for the person to reappear. He didn't have to wait very long before a gunpowder grey eye peeked out from behind the door, her brown hair hanging in loose curls down to her shoulders.

"Busted!" Jane yelled as she sprang out from behind the door and into the Tech Lab. When she got closer to him Mordin realized that her pupils were dilated.

"Behavior out of the ordinary. Pupils dilated and strange grin on face. What did you do Jane?" Mordin asked as he moved out of her way. She laughed as she hopped up on his table, her bare feet hitting its side rhythmically.

"Research Mordin… research," Jane laughed. It took him a moment to realize what she was referring to but when he stepped back slightly, his head listing to the side, Jane smiled. Oh he got it now.

"Oral contact with Thane Krios," Mordin exclaimed, excitement spilling from every word as he quickly grabbed his data pad. This was the perfect opportunity for his to do his own research. He had never seen the effects oral contact with a drell in person and now thanks to his friend he could document it. "Fascinating."

A hum vibrated from her throat as she began to tilt her head back and forth to the rhythm. He recognized the song right away. It was the same song she had hummed on those harsh nights in Tuchanka. It was the only music he had heard the whole time he was there and hearing it now, so far away from that place brought back fond and nightmarish memories. As he held his data pad up to her finger to get a blood sample another figure walked into the room. Garrus sighed when he saw Jane sitting on the table getting examined. At least Mordin would know what to do with her.

"What's the matter with her Solus?" Garrus asked as he walked up to the two, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oral contact with Thane Krios. Reaction is most intriguing," Mordin replied, not bothering to look up from his data pad.

"What?" Garrus asked, surprised. Had he just heard the Salarian right? Oral contact?

"He reminds me of him… what about you Mordin?" Jane asked suddenly, her voice heavy. When Garrus looked over at her he saw a longing in her dilated eyes as she looked at him. He felt uncomfortable under her stare suddenly. Who the hell was she talking about? Mordin looked up from his pad and over at the turain, blinking, before he looked back down at his beloved data.

"Slight similarities. Looking for similarities rather than their actually being similarities, maybe," Mordin replied.

Garrus jumped in surprise when he saw Jane's hands reach out and grab the sides of Mordin's face. Her eyes roamed up and down the Salarians face as Mordin's big black eyes stayed on her. The scientist wasn't nervous, he actually set his data pad down and reached up and grabbed both of Jane's forearms. Garrus didn't know what to do, the moment seemed so intimate, but he stayed glued to his spot unable to pull his eyes away.

"I'm sorry," Jane's voice choked out, her eyes landing on the scar on Mordin's cheek. "I didn't do my job properly. I failed."

"No apology needed. You saved my life," Mordin replied, a tender smile on his face. She nodded her head before her hands dropped from his face before she let out a sigh.

"I'm tired," Jane said as she lay out on the desk, knocking equipment to the ground. The moment her head hit a stack of reports a soft snore escaped her lips.

"I'll take her back to her room," Garrus said as he walked forward, but was stopped when the Salarian held out one of his hands.

"Leave her. Her presence is…comforting. Don't feel so alone."

Garrus didn't say anything, just gave a nod before he exited the Tech Lab. If he was confused before, he had no idea what to think now. She was a mystery he was certain he would never figure out or understand.

_ooooooooooooo_

AUTHORS NOTE: sorry it took so long to update. School was a killer. Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter so let's keep that up, Garrus demands it. And Caelia you were right, Stick's eyes are purple. Thanks for pointing it out. Sorry if Mordin seems a little OOC, but they have been through a lot together which will be explained later. Hope you liked it and please review! and if there is no space sorry. i tried and it wouldnt do it for me!


	10. Chapter 10

Sometimes finding Jane Shepard was the hardest task for a poor turian to do. He had woken up in a good mood, waking up in a comfortable bed four days in a row would do that to someone, but the minute he hit the control deck and heard whispers of a sick commander he panicked. They hadn't even been on the ship for a week and someone had poisoned her already? Jane was known around the Citadel for making enemies fast, but this was just ridiculous. When he had finally found her in the Tech lab asleep on one of the scientists tables he felt that breath he had been holding rush from his lungs. Sticks chose not to wake her and not because she looked comfortable, but because if he did he was most likely going to suffer bodily harm. He had learned that lesson a long time ago, coming very close to losing something important to any man, no matter his species.

The scientist Salarian had left an hour after he had arrived and Sticks had to admit that if it wasn't for the fact that Jane was passed out between beakers and a monitor there was no way he would have been in that lab. Anywhere experiments were done made his tough hide crawl.

"Mahogany you can't go in…" Jane mumbled, her voice saturated with sleep.

Mahogany… he had heard her mumble that name in her sleep before, along with Georgie and John. Jane would talk freely about Georgie, but the name Mahogany was almost as taboo as John.

"I like turians, what can I say," Jane continued to mumble.

Sticks laughed at her comment. She was actually the first human that he ever met that had an alien fetish, well more like a turian fetish. Since he had known Jane, Sticks had never seen her interested in a human. He had seen her flirt with a Salarian or two, but turians were her thing. Her hand flinched against a small glass beaker, sending it crashing to the floor. Jane bolted upright, her brown hair falling in her face and her right hand going to her gunless side. She looked around wildly trying to get her bearings.

"You're fine Jane. You're in Mordin's lab," Sticks said as he leaned against the back of his chair.

She turned slightly, looking at him from over her shoulder. Her grey eyes were muddled with confusion from her dream that was sounded more like a memory. She had told once that she never had dreams, just memories of her life that haunted her when she slept.

"Ugh," Jane groaned as she rubbed at her neck, moving it from side to side, "my neck is killing me."

"What do you expect? You've been sleeping on that counter for hours. Mordin said you got a little frisky with Thane," Sticks said, his mandibles flaring.

Jane let out a small laugh as she turned away from him and hopped off the counter, pulling down on her flimsy tank top as she walked over to his side of the counter. That top was one of his personal favorites. Not only was it practically see through, but it made her looked soft… feminine. Though he had never found himself attracted to a human before, Jane was different. She stopped in front of him, her hands resting on her hips and that scar she had gotten on Akuze prominent on her thigh. One of her brows arched as she continued to look down at him.

"I just licked the back of his hand," Jane finally sighed, "I had to know if the rumors were true. Don't worry Sticks he wasn't mad, he just told me never to do it again."

Sticks laughed at that.

"I don't blame him," he replied, "I wouldn't like it if some girl I barely knew came up and licked me either."

"What? Yes you would! Most of the girls you have sex with you don't know. You can't lie to me Sticks, I'm always having to do damage control."

"Come on, I'm the one that does damage control. Remember that poor games dealer?"

"That was one time…One time," Jane exclaimed as she held up one of her fingers. "Don't even get me started on how many times I've had to intimidate asari and quarian girls on their pilgrimage for you."

Sticks sighed, she had him there. Since he had come to the Citadel he had built himself quite a reputation, the wrong kind.

"Okay fine, you're right," Sticks conceded, his purple eyes wandering the room.

For a moment he had forgotten where he was, but when his eyes landed on a rather large bug skewered on a spike right next to a table of frightening tools his body stiffened. His breathing became ragged as nightmarish images flashed through his mind. He shook his head violently before he let it drop, cradling it between his large claw-like hands. He felt a small hand come to rest gently on his fringe. Jane had stepped closer to him, his bowed head almost touching her stomach.

"I'm sorry Sticks. I can't believe you're still in here. You shouldn't have come inside."

"No, I got wherever you go remember? Even if it's hell," Sticks replied, his voice heavy.

A small smile graced Jane's face, her hand reaching around and scratching that sensitive spot right behind his fringe. He sighed, his hands falling to his sides as he tilted his head slightly to giver he better access.

"Thanks Sticks. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Crash and burn," he replied lazily.

The sound of the door opening drew both their attention. Miranda walked in, her eyes quickly scanning them both before they landed on Jane's face. She was all business as usual. When Jane took her hand away to turn and face Miranda fully, Sticks sank back into his seat.

"What is it?" Jane asked, her brows knitting together.

"The Illusive Man wants to speak with you. We'll be arriving at the Terrus base in fifteen minutes," Miranda responded.

"Terrus base? I've never heard of it."

"It's a Cerberus outpost. We're scheduled to stop there to fuel up and get any necessary supplies."

"Does Anderson know about this? I won't do anything with Cerberus unless Anderson knows," Jane asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Sure the Alliance and Cerberus were allies now, but she knew enough about Cerberus and their dealings to not trust them.

"Yes. It was all in the report I gave you two days ago. You did read my report, right?" Miranda scowled. Jane hesitated for a moment, a sheepish look coming to her face as she scratched at the back of her head. The action told Miranda all she needed to know.

"I don't know what any of them are thinking putting you in charge," Miranda mumbled, just loud enough for Jane to hear. Jane frowned as she walked toward the woman, making Sticks stand from his seat in case of trouble. Jane paused for a moment besides Miranda, her grey eyes boring into Miranda's defiant blue ones.

"Neither do I," she said harshly before she continued toward the exit. "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

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Kasumi watched him carefully from her perch in the shadows. She had first noticed him when he boarded the Normandy a few days prior. The first thing that had caught her eye about him was his swagger. He was confident like Jacob had been, minus the cockiness. He had that carefree, but determined look on his face and his dress blues were tailored for his body alone, his chevrons shiny on his shoulder and his Alliance pin sitting proudly against his chest. Now though he was in his dark grey fatigues hunched over a computer. His brow was knitted together in discomfort, a sure sign he was getting a migraine from that chip he had to enhance his biotics. L2 biotics were old and full of imperfections… no wonder he had so much trouble with it. He scratched at his black hair as a sigh escaped his lips. He never sat when at a computer, he always stood. It was just another thing about him that fascinated her.

"Are you going to watch me from the shadows or come and talk to me," Kaiden said suddenly, not bothering to look away from the computer.

Kasumi smiled slightly, amused and surprised that he had caught her. She jumped down from the overhead piping, landing soundlessly on the paneled floor. As she stood he finally looked over to her, his dark eyes roaming over the only part of her face that wasn't shadowed by her hood.

"When did you figure out I was there?" Kasumi inquired. No one had ever caught her snooping, not even John had. Kaiden smiled at her for a moment before his gaze dropped back to the computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

"I'm a trained solider, if I hadn't realized you were there the moment you arrived I wouldn't be much of one now would I?"

"I don't know, the commander was a Specter and he never caught me once. Maybe you can see in the dark or something," Kasumi teased.

She watched as he took a quick glance at her from the corner of his eye before looking back at the computer screen. It was casting an orange glow over his face, showing worry lines that she hadn't noticed before. His jaw was clinched tight, the muscles flexing under his skin. Something she had said distressed him, made him upset.

"Sorry if I, uh, upset you," Kasumi said, fumbling slightly over her words.

Kaiden looked over at the petite woman. Her full lips were in a frown and the unearthly glow of her eyes was staring out at him. He knew getting upset over something innocently said was childish, but when it made him think of the commander and the last words he had shared with the man, it just made him feel so guilty.

"No need to apologize. It just made me think of old times," Kaiden said, his voice coming out heavier than he meant it too.

"You and Shepard were close," she said, making Kaiden look at her suspiciously. "Joker told me."

Kaiden laughed gently as he shook his head, his attention going back to the computer.

"Joker is a bigger gossip than all the women in Alliance space," Kaiden commented.

Kasumi went to retort, but the sound of the door to the Tech Lab opening drew both their attention. They watched as Jane came walking out, a hard look on her face. When she saw them Jane spoke, her voice clipped and full of authority.

"Kaiden, Kasumi meet me in the loading bay in ten minutes," and with that she disappeared into the elevator.

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The docking bay was silent as the three stepped out onto the platform. A whine was coming from the fuel hose as it poured fuel into her ship and a lone man stood by a pile of crates, tapping on his data pad as he checked each one in. He was wearing they typical white and grey Cerberus uniform and his black hair was slicked back on his head. He didn't even look up at them as he spoke, his attention only on his task.

"Just take the elevator to the third floor. When you get off go right and you'll see a receptionist with blonde hair."

"Uh… thanks," Jane said before she walked toward the elevator, shrugging her shoulders as she locked eyes with a skeptical Kaiden.

They all stepped onto the small elevator, one of Kasumi's gloved hands reaching out and pressing the button with the three engraved into it. They were silent, the only noise being a soft melodic music coming from an overhead speaker. It reminded Kaiden of all the elevator rides he had taken with the old crew of the Normandy, except those rides were never silent. He felt eyes on him and looked over to find Kasumi looking at him. She had a sly smile on her face that told him she was hiding something. What did he expect she was a thief and thieves were full of secrets… and tricks.

"How many security cameras did you see in the depot Kasumi?" Jane asked, drawing Kaiden's attention away from the petite Japanese girl to the woman standing slightly ahead of him.

"Seven," Kasumi answered. Jane frowned, her gaze never leaving the elevator doors.

"Right. I don't think there will be trouble, but just in case count the cameras and any exit you can take. If there's trouble ghost yourself and get to the ship for backup. Kaiden on me."

"Understood ma'am," Kaiden replied.

"Don't call me ma'am Kaiden it makes me feel old."

He nodded at her silently as he followed. The blonde woman came into view and her sharp, green snake-like eyes landed on them. Her glasses hid none of her ill will toward them as she let out a huff of frustration. She would have been a pretty woman if it wasn't for that scowl on her face and the way her narrow nose seemed to point up in the air.

"He's waiting for you, just go through that door," She exasperated. Jane didn't respond to the woman, she just turned around and nodded at Kasumi to stay put before looking at Kaiden and motioning with her head for him to follow.

Jane pushed the door open, a shot of fear racing through her as she walked in to the darkly lit room. She wanted to tell herself that she was prepared for whatever was going to happen in the room, but she couldn't lie about the fear that was working its way up her spine. She felt a bead of sweat trail down her neck and when the door clicked shut she couldn't stop her hand from going to the gun at her hip. Jane had opted against wearing armor on the space station, but now she was regretting it. What if it was some trick to get her here and kill her? But why would someone like the Illusive Man go through so much trouble to kill one insignificant person. A ring of lights brightened in the center of the room and she walked into it, glad that she could feel the presence of Kaiden behind her. She might not have known the guy very well, but knowing she had a fellow soldier at her back made her feel more at ease. The minute Kaiden stopped at her side a holographic grid encompassed the two. Suddenly they could see into another room. It was amazing, the background a massive nova. A man sat in a seat, his blue eyes glowing as he smoked a cigarette with his free hand resting on the chairs arm. So that was how the Illusive Man talked to people. It was smart, especially when one was trying to stay as mysterious as possible.

"So we finally meet Jane Shepard, though this was supposed to be a private meeting," The Illusive Man said, a trail of smoke slipping from his lips. Jane shifted in her spot before she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't keep anything from my second in command, it's bad for the mission," Jane replied nonchalantly. Kaiden's head snapped to her in surprise and the Illusive Man let out a clipped laugh.

"Fair enough."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"To meet the person that I'm putting all my cards on. You can understand that cant you?" Another stream of smoke escaped his lips as he ashed his cigarette.

"It was yours and the council's decision, not mine," Jane replied heatedly.

"It was the right decision I'm sure of it even if you are not. I know a lot about you, from your childhood on Earth, your time on Tuchanka and the devastation on Akuze. I even know the first person you fell in love with."

Jane looked at him, her eyes narrowing. He knew everything, but how could he and what if he was bluffing. He was watching her with those unnatural blue eyes, a small smirk on his face that he did nothing to hide. She didn't like or trust him and those eyes… she had seen a pair of those before.

"You don't believe me? When you were in the academy you met a Specter after a presentation to boost Alliance morale. Soon after you met you started having an affair with him. Shall I say his name?"

"No," Jane whispered. Only three people knew about that and two were dead and the other was back on the ship.

"Good now back to the mission at hand. We are going to need all the allies we can get, be it Alliance, Cerberus or otherwise. Now what's your first move?"

Jane was quiet for a moment, her eyes shifting away from the Illusive Man and over to Kaiden. He was looking at her expectantly, one eyebrow arched in anticipation. Something about the look on his face, the way his gaze was strong and unwavering, made her feel confident in her choice to have him as her second in command. He might not have liked her and she might not have liked him either, but they were both Alliance and the mission was what was important. That was something both of them understood.

"Omega," Jane finally replied, her gaze going back to the Illusive Man. "I know we will have to get the Krogans and Quarians also, but I thought Omega was the best place to start. It might be nothing but criminals and mercs but they're good at what they do. If Aria agrees I think that will sway many of the syndicates and mercenary groups to help us. She had a lot of influence over them. Plus, I figured if we got their help they would be less likely to give us trouble while we get the rest."

The Illusive Man was quiet as he regarded her, his pleased look hidden behind his hand as he raised his cigarette to his mouth. He had made a good choice indeed. He blew the smoke from his mouth before he stood from his seat, turning his back to the holographic pair.

"Do it how you want, it is your mission. I will be in contact with you soon."

"Tell me one thing," Jane said, making the Illusive Man turn toward her. "How long were you blind before you got those new eyes of yours?"

The only answer she got was the ending transmission. She was back in the dark room, her eyes adjusting slowly. When she made it out of the room the hallway was almost too bright, making her squint her eyes.

"So Omega?" Kaiden asked, looking at her.

"Yep," She replied, scratching at the back of her head. It was the most logical way she could see doing it. Besides, she hadn't been back there in almost two years, not since her last vacation.

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Authors note: reviews are much appreciated.


	11. Chapter 11

By the time Jane made it back to her room her feet were dragging and her left shoulder was sore. She had, had another run in with the Krogan Grunt and to say that it had been a good talk would have been a complete lie. Jane had run into him in the mess hall and he had become instantly aggressive like the first time she had met him, only this time he had actually gotten physical. Jane rolled her shoulder, trying to get rid of some of the stiffness.

Grunt had really slammed her into the cabinet hard, one of its handles digging into her shoulder. It was a good thing Garrus had shown up and pulled them apart or Grunt would have a steak knife sticking out of one of those pretty blue eyes of his. It was just another thing she had to fix before the shit really hit the fan. A thud filled the room as she kicked off one of her military boots, it coming to rest against an empty metal crate. A resounding pop came from her shoulder and she let out a sigh before her gunpowder grey eyes landed on a large briefcase lying on her cot, on top of it a white envelope was taped. She only knew one person who actually wrote her letters… Anderson. As she unfolded the letter her brows knitted in confusion.

_Jane: Welcome back, you deserve it._ –_Anderson_

Jane tossed the letter onto the mattress before flipping the case open, her eyes widening. Inside was her special ops armor. It wasn't as shiny as it had been when she had first gotten it so many years ago, but she liked the rough look of it. The light blue striping stood out against the black, the scratches and patch jobs physically showing the story of her military life. A smile came to her face as her fingers ran over the N6 on the collar. When she had been demoted the first thing they had taken from her was her armor and it felt like a piece of her was missing. But now… it felt good to be back in the ranks, to have that piece of her back.

A stabbing pain shot through Jane's shoulder, her hand grabbing at it instinctively. When her fingers landed on her shoulder blade, a warm wetness could be felt through the fabric of her shirt and when she pulled her hand away red decorated her fingertips.

"Dammit," Jane cursed. She must have scrapped the side of the cabinet instead of the handle like she had first thought. Forgetting that she had only one boot on Jane stormed out of the room and to the elevator. With them being so close to Omega and their first mission she thought it best to have the doctor check it and stitch it before it got infected. That was one distraction she didn't need on her mission, there were too many other things to worry about.

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A hiss escaped Jane's lips as she felt the needle hook through her skin and pull the silk through. Dr. Chakwas was old school and Jane liked that. Not only that, but she had heard the doctor could knock back brandy with the best of them. Now that was a doctor Jane could trust. A hard tug made her grit her teeth as Jane looked back at the graying doctor.

"The spectacle earlier must have been worse than it looked," Chakwas commented. Jane laughed lightly, her shoulders bobbing slightly making the silk pull her skin tight.

"You saw that, huh?"

"That's the beauty of having an office with a huge window. I can see practically everything that goes on out there."

"Don't you ever get lonely looking at everything through a sheet of glass?" Jane inquired as she looked over her shoulder. Dr. Chakwas gave a small smile, her old green eyes watching the surgical scissors as she cut the silk. She dropped the scissors and needles into a metallic tray before snapping her gloves off and tossing them in the trash bin. As the doctor reached for some gauze the sound of the medical bay door opening caught her attention. The newcomer brought the motherly smile to her face, like he did every time he entered her domain.

"Hello Jeff," Dr. Chakwas said.

Joker didn't respond to the kind doctor, his attention on the scarred back facing him from the medical beds. The pink scarring stood out against the pale skin of her back and the largest scar was on the left side, a jagged circle about the circumference of a tuna can. The rest were from cuts and bad stitch jobs, but the tuna can was the one that drew his attention. It had to have done a lot of damage and when the hell had she gotten it?

"Pictures always last longer Joker," Jane said with an amused smirk. "If my back wasn't so colorful I might think you were checking me out."

"Sorry Comman… Jane, but that big one… it must have done a lot of damage," Joker said quickly, the filter from his brain to mouth nonexistent.

A smirk came to her face as she looked away from him and down at the med table. There was a distant look in her eyes as Dr. Chakwas applied the gauze. She looked back up at him, the smirk still on her face making Joker slightly uncomfortable. It looked so… forced.

"Tuchanka. It was my first real mission after school. I was working with the Salarians, real shadow stuff. Krogan's broke into camp one night. Mordin was there, he could give you more details, he likes telling the story anyway," Jane replied before she hopped off the table and pulled her shirt over her head.

"EDI tell the team I want them in the meeting room in twenty minutes," Jane continued as she made her way to the door. She stopped suddenly by Joker, one of her hands falling gently onto his shoulder. "I expect you to be there at the meeting."

"Me?" Joker said surprised. He was never included in the meetings before.

"Yeah, of course. You're the one who gets to be the big damn hero when were in a pinch aren't you, coming in and rescuing us in your big ship."

Joker smiled at this as he shook his head. She called him a hero… no one had ever called him that before.

"I'll be there," he replied.

"Good, see you in twenty. Thanks Doc," Jane said as she waved over her shoulder as the medical bay door closed behind her.

Joker was silent for a moment, a goofy grin still on his face because of her words. He heard someone clear their throat and he looked up to see Chakwas looking at him, her brows arched as she observed.

"She reminds me of him… a little," Joker commented.

"A little," Chakwas smiled as she motioned Joker forward. "Let's get started, you have a meeting to get to."

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Garrus leaned against the railing surrounding the meeting com table, his back facing it. His arms were crossed over his chest as he desperately tried to ignore that chatter that was floating around the room as they waited for Jane. They would be at Omega within two hours and she had called a meeting to go over the plan. Garrus could feel Kaiden shift from foot to foot, impatient as always.

"She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago," Kaiden growled. He might be second in command now, something he was amazed and grateful or, but that didn't mean that the woman's tardiness didn't drive him up the wall.

"Maybe she's having a Thane relapse," Garrus commented with a scoff.

"Watch what you say about her or I might just jump over this table and kick your ass," Garrus heard someone comment from behind him.

He slowly turned around and saw Sticks glaring at him from across the table, his claw-like hands gripping the railing hard. Sticks was in full body armor and a large rifle could be seen peeking out from behind him as it la ready in its back holster. His purple eyes were menacing and his tattoo-less face made him look even more untrustworthy. The room had gone silent, the others watching the confrontation before them. The dim lights in the room made the rough skin on their faces glow an unearthly blue, the opposite of what the mood actually was. The tension was palpable in the room and when a condescending laugh escaped Garrus it seemed almost Earth shattering.

"I'd like to see you try, you clan-less bas…"

Garrus didn't get to finish his sentence, Sticks going for him the minute _clan-less_ had been uttered from his mouth. Sticks had launched himself at Garrus, one of his large feet making contact with the com table for a more powerful push forward. Kaiden stumbled backwards as the two turians collided, his eyes wide in disbelief. Garrus skidded back as he lost his footing before stomping his foot into the panel flooring. Sticks had seized him by the collar of his armor, his gloved talons scratching against the rough skin of Garrus' neck. Garrus' mandibles flared wildly as he grabbed at Sticks' outstretched arm and yanked it away from him, but Sticks just grabbed him with his free arm and pulled him as close as Garrus could be without touching. Garrus' hand clenched into a fist at his side, but as he went to raise it a sharp feminine voice cut through the air.

"What the hell is going on?" Jane asked angrily as she stalked toward the two turians. She looked between the two, her grey eyes narrowed, as she waited for an answer. When nothing happened she grabbed for Sticks' arm.

"That's enough," Jane said as she yanked at his arm. It didn't budge. "Fuck! I said that's enough!"

Sticks finally let go and looked down at Jane as he stepped away from Garrus. It didn't matter though; this was the kind of shit that pissed her off. It was the kind of shit that got others killed.

"What the fuck are you guys thinking getting into a fight right before a mission? I need you guys clear headed, not at each other's fucking throats. The next time you guys pull this shit you will be sidelined until I say otherwise. You fucking understand me?"

"Yes," Sticks mumbled while Garrus just shook his head.

"Good, now that, that's settled let's get to the mission specifics," Jane said as she turned to everyone else.

She couldn't help but be satisfied to see that everyone was there, that her speech had worked on them even if it was just for a mission basis. The mission was the most important thing after all. Jane could see the Asari Justicar just outside the ring on team members, leaning against the wall with her arms over her ample chest, intent on listening in even though she was leaving them the minute they got to Omega. Jane had tried to talk Samara out of it, but she wouldn't budge. She had fulfilled her pledge to her brother and now that, that was done the code of the Justicar was calling her. They could have used her greatly, but they would just have to do without.

"Now I figure that Omega will be the best place to start getting people to join the cause. If we can get Aria I am pretty positive that any merchs will follow in her footsteps. They respect her and fear her so if she is willing to work with us they will more than likely be willing to cooperate and with that cooperation it with make moving around the traverse a lot faster and easier. Now I'm going to split us up into three squads. Garrus, Sticks and Jack will be with me. We will be meeting with Aria. Kaiden will be…"

"Wait did you forget what just happened?" Jack asked, her arms crossing over her chest as she looked at Jane skeptically. "Those two just about ripped each other to pieces."

"They're putting their differences aside for the mission right boys?" Jane said as she looked at the two. They nodded in unison. "Now as I was Kaiden you will be leading the second squad with Thane and Grunt. I want you surveying the area outside the club, ready if we need run into too much trouble. Miranda your leading squad three with Mordin and Kasumi, you're staying on ship. You guys will be on standby incase the shit really hits the fan. Everyone understand?"

A flurry of grumbles and yes filtered around the room as people made their way out. As Kaiden made to walked past Jane she stopped him, her hands colliding firmly with his armor covered chest. He looked over at her and saw her grey eyes flaring with anger.

"I made you second in command didn't I?"

"Yes," Kaiden responded.

"Well next time two team members get in a fight and you happen to be in the vicinity I expect you to stop it, not stand there like a thirteen year old boy seeing his first pair of titties in the flesh, you understand?"

"Yes commander," Kaiden replied, getting a look from her. "Jane."

"Good, now let's get something to eat I'm starving," Jane said with a smile as she smacked him on the chest.

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Garrus couldn't stand the smell of Omega. It was just one big trash heap to him and full of the worst people in the galaxy. He also hated the way that you could hear the noise pumping from the club, Aria's lair. It seemed that no matter where you went on Omega, hell even if you were dreaming, you would hear the thumping of the music as if you were in that pit of despair. When Jane had told them of the plan she had made it sound like it would be so easy to waltz in and get everyone to be friends and join the fight. Things were never easy on Omega and their always seemed to be a mighty hefty price for any favor asked. He couldn't deny the humans logic though, it was sound. If they could get the mercs to cooperate the only thing they would really have to worry about would be the reapers and their dolls.

His dark eyes drifted to the woman standing in front of him, talking to a batarian bouncer just outside the club. They seemed to know each other, but their conversation couldn't hold his attention. He couldn't help but notice the way she seemed to fill out her armor so perfectly, how it accentuated her feminine curves and made her hips look so supportive. He heard someone clear their throat roughly and when he looked over Jack was smirking at him, her eyebrows wiggling as she motioned for him to keep his eyes up and focused on the mission at hand. He looked at the small woman beside him for a moment before he nodded. She had changed since they had first rescued her from that prison frigate. She had changed because of John, just like most of them had.

"Alright let's go. Keep sharp," Jane said as she walked into Afterlife, the music assaulting Garrus' senses the minute the heavy front door opened.

They made a beeline for Aria's position, passing the scantily clad Asari and drunken patrons without a second glance. When Jane was on mission nothing distracted her, it was extremely opposite from what Garrus was used to. Just her attitude alone showed that she was Alliance through and through, unwavering until the end. He wasn't exactly sure if he could trust that. When they finally made it to Aria he stayed back, positioning himself at the bottom of the stair with Jack. Sticks, like the pet he was, followed her right up to the Queen herself.

"Well, well look what the krogan dragged in," Aria said with a small smile, "Never thought I would see your sorry face again."

"You know me Aria, can't stay away from trouble," Jane said as she came to a stop in front of the seated asari.

"Your bother was here a few months ago causing me trouble."

"I can't account for what he does Aria, you know that," Jane replied coldly. Aria just laughed.

"Fair enough. So what brings you here, another stimulating vacation?"

"A mission actually," Jane replied as she activated her omni-tool. The picture of the Reapers Anderson had shown her floated in an orange glow, drawing Aria's upmost attention. "See we have a big problem. An army of reapers is on their way to wipe out all life as we know it. I know you're not in the business of helping the Alliance or Cerberus, but I figured that if we went down so would everyone else. You rag tag teams or mercs wouldn't last very long without us once were gone so I came to ask for your help."

"I'm listening," Aria said, her brow raising.

"I figured if I could get your cooperation that the other merc factions would follow. The more we have on our side the better our chances will be. Plus with you all on our side it will stop the interference and make it easier to get the job done. So what do you say?" Jane finished her face serious as she waited desperately for an answer. She needed this to work, not only for the mission but for herself as well. If she could get things done it might just get more of her squad on her side as well.

"You've never lied to me before Jane so I'm taking your word on it. Plus I had a bad run in with some of those Collectors a few years back. The threat seems serious enough and if the reports I keep getting from my sources are true then the situation seems to be getting worse… you being here proves that. But getting the rest to listen to you is going to take more than just me talking to them. You're going to have to prove yourself to them, prove that you're worth their time and their lives."

"How the hell do I do that?"

"Tomorrow there is going to be a tournament were all the gangs and merc groups pit their best fighters against each other. If I say you're fighting to represent me you can get in. Win that tournament and you'll get your audience," Aria stated as she leaned back into her leather couch.

Jane just smirked, her eyes glowing with excitement.

"Where do I sign up?"


	12. Chapter 12

"Jane I don't think this is a good idea," Kaiden said as he walked briskly beside his commander.

"Kaiden it's going to be fine. This won't be my first fight you know," Jane replied as she looked over her shoulder at him quickly before looking forward again. Kaiden couldn't fathom how any of this was going to do them any good and he had no idea how to talk her out of it. The further they walked into the holding area with all the participants the more he knew that there was no talking her out of it.

"Well at least let one of us fight in your place."

Jane stopped suddenly, her feet making a squeak against the floor as she turned to face him. Determination was in her grey eyes as she looked at him, her brown hair held back tightly in a ponytail. She wasn't wearing armor, it wasn't allowed, just a grey tank top with a pair of tight fitting black pants that were tucked into her black boots. She was also weaponless, another thing that bothered him. The rule was no weapons, but just because she was going to follow the rules didn't mean the others would.

"Look, I can't have one of you doing it for me. I'm the leader of this gang of misfits and if I want to get their attention it has to be me. No one will ever fight my fight for me," Jane said, a small smile coming to her face as she tapped him reassuringly on the shoulder. "Now go meet up with the rest, Sticks you go with him. Keep an eye on them."

"Jane…" Sticks started, but the look she gave him halted his words.

This was something she needed to do on her own, and he knew that without the look on her face telling him so. She gave him a wink at his understanding before she turned and continued the rest of the way by herself. Kaiden ran one of his rough hands through his black hair as he watched her disappear behind a worn out door. He turned to Sticks, trying desperately to read the look on the turain's face. He couldn't though, his face a flurry of emotions that Kaiden couldn't separate. He knew nothing about Sticks and as they stood together in the abandoned hallway he realized that he hadn't even tried to get to know him since the beginning of the mission.

"Can't you say anything to make her change her mind?" Kaiden asked finally, getting Sticks to look down at him. There was a smile on the turian's face, a small one.

"I can't talk her out of anything. She wants to do this though…needs to. It's about more than just the mission, it's about you guys too. She thinks that in winning this that she will gain your guys' respect as a leader. Jane might act like she doesn't care, but she does."

"Did she tell you that?" Kaiden asked, his eyebrows rising toward his hairline. How was it that this turian seemed to understand human emotions so well? Garrus didn't even understand humans that well.

"I just know her that's all, you would too if you gave her a chance," Sticks answered as he started to walk away. "Let's get back to the others."

Kaiden was quiet as he turned and followed, guilt eating away at him. Sticks was right, he hadn't even tried to give her a chance, even after she made him second in command. His first impression of her had been so terrible that he couldn't get past it, even if he failed to realize the fact before. John Shepard had been an exceptional leader and solider, the very thing Kaiden had wanted to be. Not only that but he was a good comrade and friend, always there whenever anyone needed help. The man was nice to a fault and his sister was the opposite, bordering on selfish and irrational. He would just have to put in the effort to get to know his commander, even if she drove him up the wall.

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Jane stood so her back was facing a wall, all eyes locked on her. She didn't want to give any of them a chance to sneak up on her and deal a crippling blow before the tournament even started so Jane stayed where she was, leaving her back protected.

"That's the dead human specter's sister?" A krogan laughed, his voice deep and hearty, "She doesn't look like much."

A chorus of laughs broke through the room making Jane twitch with anger. She couldn't rise to the bait, not yet. She needed to save it all for the tournament. As Jane scanned the group of mercs she saw the flurry of emotions they had as they looked at her; anger, lust, disbelief, mockery, amusement, hatred, but there was one thing that they all had in common… they were all going to lose. Jane couldn't fail and she knew it. Winning this tournament meant more than just the mission to her. If she failed this she would never get the respect from her crew that deep down Jane so desperately wanted. If she won this it would be one small step out of her brothers overwhelming shadow. Jane would never be him, ever.

"You won't be saying that when I beat your ass into the ground krogan," Jane said with a huff.

The krogan turned back to her, his black eyes full of murderous intent, the dark blue ridge of his hard head shadowing his angry features. When he turned her eyes landed on the insignia on his suit. It was a red howling wolf's head, The Shade's symbol. The Shade, a merc the Alliance had been looking for, for years but could never find. The only thing that they did know was that The Shade was a human and most suspected that he was male. Other than that… well that's why he was referred to as 'The Shade'. Damn, she should have kept her mouth shut.

"That's The Shade's symbol. I thought he worked alone?" Jane inquired. No point in shutting her mouth after she had already shot it off.

"He hired me to represent him for this… tournament," the krogan answered.

"Huh, just a hired thug. You'll be easier than I thought."

The krogan looked at her, his eyes narrowed. Jane knew that she shouldn't have been provoking him before the fight, but she couldn't stop herself. There was still that tiny bit of fear that ran through her body as he made a step toward her, his large body threatening. That fear had been there since Tuchanka. She steeled herself, ready for him to charge, but he stopped short, a laugh coming from his multi-chambered chest.

"The same could be said about you."

All she could do was frown at him, knowing that any words that she said would only make her seem weak and childish. There was no way she could win the argument, there was no need to. The sound of a door opening drew her attention and a Batarian wearing black, undiscript armor walked in with a data pad in his hand. He looked around the room quickly before his eyes landed on her, an amused look on his face.

"You're up first!" He yelled before he turned and walked back out the door he had come in. Jane followed him, walking through the crowd of merc and killers, her head held high and her hands in fists at her sides. She looked over her shoulder as she got to the door, giving the krogan a final wink before she left. Sometimes she just couldn't help herself.

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Jack kicked her boot against the half wall, her tattooed arms resting on it as she leaned forward. It had been twenty minutes since Sticks and Kaiden had left the loud mouth commander with the nasties and Jack was itching for the damn tournament to start. She had wanted to be in it of course, but Jane wouldn't allow it. The stubborn bitch said it had to be her. Jack had wanted to argue, but when Jane looked at her with her gunpowder grey eyes the fight fell right out of her. They were John's eyes, the only thing that girl seemed to have in common with her brother. Well, that and their brown hair, but nothing else. John was a leader that even Jack could respect, while Jane just seemed to be drowning in the position. Jack didn't know what the fuck the Alliance and the Illusive Man were thinking putting her in charge of the mission. If it hadn't been for what John had told her about his sister Jack would have jumped ship the moment he died. It hadn't just been what he had said about Jane before he had died that made Jack stay, but what he had told her in the holo he had left on her cot before the suicide mission. Damn him for being so persuasive and for getting under her skin. And damn him for making her feel.

"Dammit I should have stopped her," Kaiden said suddenly making Jack tear her eyes away from the empty arena.

"Fucking can it Alenko. There's no way you could have. Even Sticks couldn't stop her," Jack replied, annoyance evident in her voice.

Kaiden narrowed his eyes as his arms crossed over his broad chest and she couldn't hold back her snort. Was the second in command fucking pouting? Dammit all these people were fucking crazy and as she looked around their small crowd, the whole team and Joker, she knew her former thought was true. Jack knew she was in trouble when Thane was the most normal out of all of them. Fuck John for leaving her with these people and dammit… she was one of them wasn't she?

"Mordin couldn't you talk sense into her?"

Jack frowned. Was he still trying to think of a way to get Jane out of it?

"Highly unlikely. Jane's mind is set. There is no changing it. Have faith," Mordin started, pausing to take a deep breath. "She can win."

"Just give it a rest Kaiden. It's too late now anyway," Garrus replied from his perch against the wall.

He was tired of the bickering and whining. The woman obviously had a death wish or a sick pleasure for failure. He just knew that her chances of winning the tournament were slim to none. Jane was going to be going up against some of the most sadistic criminals in the galaxy that were probably more seasoned in killing than she was. He had confronted her about it back on the ship, but she just gave him the look; that look that could have killed him a thousand times over. It was true he had no faith in the girl; she hadn't done anything to make him have any in the first place. The faith that John had talked about on his holo seemed so misplaced. But by some miracle Jane actually won the tournament then he just might be impressed.

A crackle filled the arena, drawing his attention to the center. A batarian was standing in the middle of the arena his eyes locked on the person standing in front of him. He looked put out and insulted that they had actually paired him with his opponent. Garrus didn't hear the announcer talking about the first fight, his eyes glued to the girl standing in front of the batarian. Her back was ramrod straight, her hands in fists at her side and her stance ready for a fight. She looked small standing by the batarian, the male outweighing her by a good seventy-five pounds. He could just make out her chest heaving as she breathed, her attention glued to the alien in front of her.

"I refuse to fight a girl!" The batarian blurted out. "I don't want to be responsible for hurting her!"

Garrus watched as Jane rushed the batarian, catching him off guard. He stumbled backwards as her fist connected with his face, a resounding crack echoing off the paneled walls of Omega. The batarian was still for a moment, his head cocked back, before he fell backwards and smacked against the ground. Jane had knocked him out cold.

"Jane Shepard the winner of round one!" The announcer yelled a flurry of mumbling filling the air.

Garrus laughed as he watched her walk to a small bench on her side of the arena as she wiped her knuckles on her black pants. She sat down roughly on the bench and ran a hand over her hair before looking up at them. When Jane saw them she waved.

"I don't fucking believe it," Miranda said, her voice full of surprise.

Garrus seconded that. Maybe it wasn't going to be boring after all.

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Three rounds down and Jane was still in it. She had, had a little trouble with an agile Drell the round before, but a roundhouse kick to the side of his head had finally dropped him. She was getting tired, they all could see it. Her chest was rising and falling as she breathed heavily and the hairs that had come loose from their ponytail were now glued to her neck and forehead with sweat. She was facing off against a Vorcha from the blood pack. Jane had gotten a few good hits, the best a landed punch to the eye, damaging it completely. The two were having a standoff now as they struggled to catch their breath. Every second that past only made Garrus more tense. He had come expecting to be bored and leaving after the first round, but now he was enthralled, his dark eyes never leaving the girl he now had to call commander. Sticks was standing next to him, anxiety rolling off the turian. He had a hard grip on the half wall as he watched her, his body completely still as if he were dead. Garrus couldn't even tell if the guy was breathing.

Jane was the first to move, rushing the Vorcha with her fist cocked back and ready to strike. The Vorcha deflected the punch, grabbing her wrist in the process. He yanked her forward, his mouth agape as he snarled at her. He was going straight for her face. Jane threw her free arm up in an attempt to block and a scream ripped from her throat. Garrus' body went rigid, Sticks twitching beside him. Garrus could just make out talons scratching across the metal wall over the roar of excitement coming from the crowd.

"Biting. Very unsanitary," Mordin said with a shake of his head, his big eyes looking down at his omni-tool. Garrus heard a swirling sound come from Legion who had been standing behind him the whole time. Clearly the geth was agitated.

"That can't be legal… Is that legal?" Kaiden asked. Garrus looked over to see his friend's eyes wide as he stood there and watched their struggling commander, Kasumi sitting on the half wall beside him.

"No armor and no weapons were the only rules. Everything else is permitted," Thane added stoically. A resounding grunt came from Grunt.

"If she can't handle that she doesn't deserve to be in it," He commented, his blue eyes narrowed as he watched. Garrus wasn't positive, but he couldn't help but think that the krogan was referring to more than just the tournament.

Another scream exploded from Jane, this time in anger as the Vorcha began to thrash his head about. She lifted her knee and connected with his groin, the Vorcha losing his grip of both his mouth and hand as he stumbled back. She didn't give him anytime as she delivered a kick to his side making him fall to the floor. When he turned on his stomach in an attempt to get up Jane planted one of her feet in between his shoulder blades. She reached down and grabbed his clawing arms and pulled them back toward her, using her body weight as leverage. A loud pop filled the arena right before the Vorcha let out a howling scream of pain. Jane had dislocated both of his arms. She stumbled back as she dropped his limp arms, falling on her ass.

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Jane didn't hear the announcer say she had won, the only thing she could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears. Her eyes looked down at her wounded arm, blood coursing from the wound and down her hand and onto the floor. She could just make out a few broken teeth in her marred flesh and as she grabbed and pulled a few from her arm Jane let a hiss escape her busted lip. Damn, Jane never thought she would have as much trouble with the Vorcha as she had and she certainly hadn't expected him to bite her. It was like getting stabbed by a thousand needles all at once. Fucker deserved what he got.

When Jane finally looked up she saw her whole team looking at her, waiting for her do something, anything that would say that she was okay. Jane groaned as she pointed at Mordin and then down at her bleeding arm. She suddenly felt extremely embarrassed under their scrutiny. Jane stumbled to her feet as Mordin approached her, Sticks leading the way. The turian could never stay put even if she wanted him to.

"Are you alright?" Sticks asked as he came up beside her. He went to grab at her arm but she just waved him away.

"I'm fine. Can you patch me up Mordin?" Jane asked with a huff as she plopped down on the bench she had been occupying between rounds.

"Yes. Antibiotics first, then wrap arm. Vorcha have dirty mouth. Look tired. Need rest," Mordin rambled as he sat down beside her, administering antibiotics with his omni-tool. Jane could feel the medicine course through her veins like a comfortable heat, slowing the rapid pace of her heart to a steady rhythm. Jane was silent as she watched Mordin wrap her arm, flashes of days passed racing across the front of her mind. Memories that she never wanted to remember but couldn't forget.

"You're kicking ass Jane, keep it up," Sticks said, not holding back as he gave her a slap on the shoulder. She looked up at him, her grey eyes tired as he gave her a reassuring nod.

"Yes, very impressive. As always," Mordin added as he finished wrapping her arm with white gauze. He had been able to stem the bleeding, but red was still littering the white of the bandage.

"Thanks guys… for… you know."

Mordin blinked at her, his large eyes showing surprise that only Jane could read. She had known him to long not to know his looks even if they were guarded and subtle. He was her oldest friend and if it wasn't for him she would have died a long time ago back on Tuchanka. His large hand landed gently on her head as he smiled at her, his smile awkward as always.

"Thank you. You give me hope, a reason to fight," Mordin said before he stood from the bench and silently walked toward the remaining part of the team. She was silent for a moment, her eyes locked on her friend.

"You've got one more round Jane and then it's over," Sticks said, grabbing her attention.

"I'm tired Sticks," Jane said, closing her eyes momentarily, a picture of a smiling John making her shake her head violently. She looked up at her most trusted and sighed. "Tell me this is worth it."

"You know it is Jane, you don't need me to tell you."

"That turian was a pussy you know. All reach, but no flexibility," Jane said with a small laugh as she remembered back to her second opponent. She knew a thing or two about fighting turians, she sparred with one all the time.

"Well you know not all of them could be as badass as me," Sticks said with a throaty laugh. She was changing the subject to something lighter. Good, she needed to stay positive.

"You can't even beat me at arm wrestling."

"I let you win."

"You were always a bad lair Sticks, you know that?" Jane said as she arched one of her dark eyebrows, a smirk coming to her busted lip.

"Or so you think," Sticks said, getting shoved as Jane stood from the bench.

"Just go back with the others, and yes I'm fine so don't ask."

Stick just smiled and nodded before he walked back to the rest, leaving her alone in the arena. He knew she was ready, even if she had a tiny slip up. The girl couldn't be solid all the time, it was too much to ask of someone. But he knew her and Jane would never let any of the others, besides Mordin, see her weak and vulnerable. It just wasn't in her nature. When he got to the half wall Sticks easily jumped over it and landed loudly next to Garrus and Kaiden.

"Is she alright?" Kaiden asked, his eyes searching Sticks' face for an answer.

"She's fine. A bite's not going to stop her," Sticks replied.

"Well I hope she's ready because her last opponent is a big one," Garrus said, his voice flat.

In the middle of the arena a large krogan stood alone, a wicked smile on his face as he dog-eyed Jane from his spot. On his clothes was the mark of the Shade, a lone howling wolf. Damn, that girl had the worst luck out of anyone he had ever met.

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Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews and thanks for whoever is still reading. I hope you like this chapter, i worked on it a lot and wanted to show more people's POV. The Shade... an enemy or friend? I keep debating if i should make the Shade a man or woman... what do you guys think? Oh and a little tidbit: When i first thought of Sticks he was only going to be in te first chapter when he arm wrestled with Jane. then i decided to add him in the second chapter and after that i liked him so much that i had to keep him. Hope you are still enjoying the story!


	13. Chapter 13

The greatest thing about being unknown was the fact that one didn't have to hide themselves if they did not want to. Running into acquaintances from his life before he was strictly known as _The Shade_ was a one and a billion chance and even if he did happen to have that one chance he still didn't worry about being seen… after all he wasn't called The Shade for nothing. He had only gotten wind of the tournament when he had gotten to Omega a few days prior and when he heard that a human female was going to be in the tournament he quickly found out who it was. Jane Shepard, sole survivor of Akuze and little sister to the first human Specter. Her military file was impressive and terrible at the same time. She had almost as many failed missions as successful ones and tragedy seemed to follow her around like a heavy rain cloud.

His ice blue eyes watched her intently as she huffed on the sidelines, refusing to sit back down on the bench. By now the bandage on her arm was visibly red and she didn't seem to notice, her eyes glued to the large krogan in the middle of the arena. He could read her tense body from his spot just behind her team. He had picked the perfect candidate to fight her. Krogan's were her weakness, the dagger in the chest that stole her breath and made her blood run cold.

He smiled to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. She was walking toward her opponent now, a steely look on her face, a mask to hide her fear. It made him wonder what she thought about her krogan squad mate. Did she tremble when she looked into her squad mates blue eyes? Where they a haunting reminder?

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_"Whenever you're scared just call out for me and I'll be there."_

Johnny… he was such a liar. She could remember how much she believed him when he had told her that. She was five at the time and he was her hero. Jane's unmovable faith in him was at its strongest then. She believed everything he said, absolutely everything, but he was a liar. He wasn't there for her, not now, not on graduation day, not on Tuchanka, not on Akuze, never. Jane took another step forward, her legs heavy and reluctant as she approached the krogan.

_"I love you…forever."_

Another declaration not kept. They had both left her, like everyone did. Her brother, her friends, her lover… they all left and she was alone. Eventually the crew of the Normandy would leave her to. Was she destined to be alone forever? When she looked up at the krogan finally Jane could see the sneer on his face as he watched her. He was big, really big, bigger than she had realized back in the room. She had the urge to turn and run, a feeling of utter failure washing over her.

_"You can do this."_

Jane paused, a trembling smile coming to her face at the familiar voice, Georgie. He had always believed in her, more than she deserved. He had been her support when no one else was there, her foundation through the Academy, through Tuchanka, through countless other missions. It was her fault he had gotten killed on Akuze, his faith misplaced for the last time. What would he think of her now?

_"You can do this."_

Jane started forward again, her last steps lighter and swifter, the stiffness of her back receding with every step she took. She could do this… she had to. A throaty laugh came from the krogan as she stopped a few feet away from him. He was even bigger up close, one of the biggest she had ever seen and she had seen many a krogan in her day. His feet scuffed against the paneled floor as he watched her. He was waiting for her to move, to twitch, anything to set him off and start the fight. Jane couldn't say she was as eager as he was, but the quicker it was over the quicker she could move on with the mission. The sooner she could escape the ghosts.

"Kick his ass!"

Jane's head snapped in the direction the feminine voice had come from, her grey eyes widening. Kasumi was standing atop the half wall, one of her hands raised and cupped around her mouth. When she saw Jane look at her she gave another hoot, her fist pumping in the air. Jane smiled, her eyes drifting to Sticks. He followed the girl's example and gave a small fist pump. Jane turned back to the krogan, determination coursing through her.

"Whenever you're ready twinkle toes," Jane baited.

A roar escaped the krogan's throat as he rushed her, his charge fast making Jane stagger back, his flying fist clipping her shoulder. Pain shot down to her fingers and she shook it violently before he turned to face her again. The hit hadn't even been direct and it still hurt like hell. He rushed her again, Jane ducking and throwing a punch to his abdomen. He grunted slightly before he pushed her away. She stumbled back, nearly losing her footing. The krogan sent a punch to her face, knocking her head back, blood spraying from her mouth.

Jane's vision went fuzzy as she stumbled from the hit. She threw her injured arm up as he went for her face again, the pain screaming through her body at the contact. Jane back peddled, tripping on the toe of her right shoe and hitting the ground with a resounding thud, unable to stop her head from bouncing off the hard surface. Jane's vision swam as she fought the pain. Was this the end of the fight? Was she really that pathetic?

_"Get up! Fight! You got this Jane!"_

_"Don't be a pussy!"_

Georgie? Mahogany?

Jane rolled to her left, just missing getting her face crushed by the sole of the korgan's boot. She got to her feet unsteadily, widening her stance. She breathed heavily, blood oozing from the wound on her arm and off her fingertips. Jane spat blood from her mouth, wiping it off her chin with the back of one of her hands.

"Just give up, you're embarrassing yourself," the krogan said, his voice uninterested.

"I can't do that," Jane replied.

This time she made the first move, her feet squeaking as she ran forward. She jumped up and threw a kick at his head, snapping his neck to the side as he stumbled. Jane didn't give him time before she went for him again, sending an upper cut to his chin before kneeing him in the stomach. He roared as he pushed her away roughly, sending her stumbling back. He wanted it to be over, it was embarrassing that it was taking so damn long. He reached into his boot and flung it at her, a small silver knife that raced right for her head. She was quick, throwing her uninjured arm up and catching the blade with the flesh of her forearm.

Jane wanted to scream as she looked at the blade protruding from her arm. It might have been little, but that had been one hell of a throw. Anger rose in her faster than she could contain. She ran at him, jumping up and grabbing him by the collar of his suit, pushing him down to the ground with her knees. He was pinned under her and she punched him in the face again, and again, and again. She couldn't stop herself, even after his face began to puff up and he failed to have a response. Jane was vaguely aware of her screaming, of her inability to stop herself from hitting him. She spotted the knife out of the corner of her eye and pulled it from her flesh and raised it over her head. As she brought it down toward the krogan a strong hand gripped her wrist. She tugged against the grip, but it wouldn't budge.

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Jane was beating him to death, her cries filling the arena with a pain that he had never heard before. It was from deep down within her, bursting out from a dark place. Garrus had seen a lot of things in his life, but this… he had never seen anything so brutal. She was relentless as she continued to punch the krogan who had gone limp a long time ago. He was dead, everyone could see that, but Jane wouldn't stop. Her fists and clothes were littered with the dead korgan's blood. She was blinded by her fury and adrenaline. Garrus had to stop her.

He jumped over the wall and ran toward her, his arm reaching out for her as she pulled the knife from her arm and rose it over her head. He caught it just in time. Jane struggled against him for a moment before looking back at him, her grey eyes full of blinding fury.

"Let go of me!" She yelled, but he wouldn't budge.

"He's dead!" Garrus yelled, shocking her from her rage. Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at him. "The fights over you won."

Jane stood unsteadily, her knees shaking as she stepped away from the body lying motionless on the ground. She was aware that a mass crowd was approaching her, along with her crew, but she couldn't hear any of it. A ringing went off in her ears, her heart pumping frantically in her chest. Jane saw Sticks walk into her line of vision for a moment before a shock of reddish-brown hair caught her attention. He was working his way through the crowd, his cold gaze watching her, a smirk never leaving his face.

There was no way…

Jane moved in his direction, but was stopped by the crowd around her. He looked back over his shoulder at her before disappearing out of sight, like the ghost she was certain he was.

"Mahogany?" Jane whispered before an omni-tool was shoved in her face.

"Breathing irregular, bleeding from both wounds. Jaw could be damaged. Need medical attention," Mordin rambled, his omni-tool scanning her quickly. She looked over at him, her head feeling suddenly heavy. She swayed a little bit, but a strong arm steadied her. Sticks held her upright as Mordin continued to scan. The Batarian announcer made his way toward them, his stride all business.

"Tomorrow morning at seven they will meet with you in the underbelly of Afterlife. Don't be late," he said firmly before leaving them once again. Jane let her head hang forward, Stick's arm around her waist holding her up.

"We should get her back so Dr. Chakwas can have a look at her," Garrus said, Mordin nodding in agreement. A soft snore came from her direction and Garrus' mandibles flared. "Is she asleep?"

As the words left his mouth her head rolled back to show her eyes closed shut, one eye swollen along with her lip and her open mouth showing her teeth caked in blood. She looked worse for wear, but peaceful. Then there it was to Garrus' surprise, that little spark of respect in the pit of his stomach. She could take one hell of a beating.

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Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews and faves! They mean a lot to me and I hope this story is becoming what you are hoping it would. Sorry for the chapter being short, but I wanted the fight to be the main focus of this chapter. I hope it wasn't too bad, I tried to make it believable.


	14. Chapter 14

_Jane's eyes fluttered open, the lids heavy as she looked up at the bland ceiling over her head. The air smelled sterile, no lingering smell of dust and carnage. Fluorescent light filled the white room and the uncomfortable bed she was lying upon told her she was no longer in that forsaken tower on Akuze. She breathed in deeply as pain shot through her leg, the rhythmic sound of a heart monitor making her gaze drift in its direction. The machine was blocked by a set of blue eyes staring intently back at her. At first Jane thought it was Georgie, but when she saw the unruly mop of brownish-red hair atop his head she knew it was Mahogany, Georgie's twin brother. His face was a blank mask as he gazed at her, a face that made her mouth go dry and her eyes sting._

_"I'm sorry Mahogany," Jane said, her voice nothing but a whisper. Her bandaged hand reached out for his, but he quickly pulled it away. The action stung._

_"This is all your fault. He followed you everywhere, his unwavering faith in Jane Shepard! Georgie would be alive if it wasn't for you!" Mahogany screamed as he bolted up from the chair he had been sitting in, sending it clattering to the floor. _

_Jane wanted to say something, anything that would calm her friend down just a little, but she knew he was right. The whole thing was her fault. She went to look away, but Mahogany seized her by the chin and made her look at him. All the friendliness, the camaraderie that they had shared over the years was gone. Jane could see it plainly on his face, he hated her._

_"I'll never forgive you for this… I hate you with every fiber of my being Jane Shepard," Mahogany continued, his voice a harsh whisper, "and I hope you drown in your guilt." _

_His gripped tightened on her chin, his teeth gritted together. She just sat there, not fighting back. She didn't want to and as his other hand balled into a fist she closed her eyes. She deserved it… whatever he did to her she deserved it._

_"Let her go," An athoritive voice ripped through the air, the hand on her chin getting ripped away. She heard a scoff come from Mahogany, her eyes still squeezed closed._

_"Always coming to the rescue aren't you? You should have left her back on that rock to die. It should have been her," Jane heard Mahogany say before the door to her room was slammed shut._

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Jane's eye snapped open, a groan of pain pushing its way through her busted lips. She tried, but failed to open her other eye, concluding that the krogan must have given her a shiner… among other things. She could have sworn she had seen Mahogany in that crowd and the dream didn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach. It couldn't have been him, could it? It hadn't been long after the incident in the hospital that Mahogany disappeared with a stolen cruiser. The vehicle had been found torn to pieces on some back water planet in the Terminus system and though no body had ever been found he was presumed dead. No one could survive that crash, nobody.

Jane sluggishly pushed herself into a sitting position, a hiss escaping her throat. Damn, that krogan had kicked her ass.

"So you're awake," Dr. Chakwas said, her calming voice gaining Jane's attention. "I know I'm a military doctor, but we have to stop meeting like this."

Jane repressed her laugh, but couldn't stop the smirk.

"I'll try to bring you something special next time," Jane replied as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "How is it?"

"Well you have a black eye, swollen lip, a few bruised ribs, a nasty bite and a stab wound that needed twenty-five stitches. Other than that you're fine, but Mordin and I agreed that you need to take some antibiotics for that Vorcha bite."

"How did I get back here?"

"Sticks brought you back."

Sticks… figured. The doctor watched Jane for a moment, a distant look in the young commander's eyes. It was that same look John had, had on his face many time, the look of past memories… remembering ghosts. While John snapped out of it quickly with a smile on his face, his sister seemed lost. Jane didn't even realize that someone had joined them in the medical bay.

Dr. Chakwas wasn't sure if it was a good idea for the krogan to be there at the moment. The two didn't get along and Jane had just killed one of his kind. He looked threatening as he stood just inside the doorway, his massive form blocking most of her view of the exit. He might not have looked as war hardened as Wrex had, but he was still intimidating. The sound of his thunderous footsteps as he advanced forward snapped Jane to attention as she bolted to a stand. Jane fell into a defensive stance as she stared the advancing krogan down. Dr. Chakwas stepped back, her hand going to the intercom button incase of trouble. Grunt stopped in front of Jane, his blue eyes peering down at her.

"I saw what you did to that krogan," he said, his voice booming through the medical bay. Jane narrowed her eye as she looked up at him.

"I did what I had to and I'm not sorry for it. It was him or me," Jane replied, her bandaged arms tensing as she made fists. A curt laugh escaped his lips.

"You're fierce, brutal… I like that. A true battlemaster."

With that he gave her a harsh smack on the side of the arm that sent her sideways. Grunt then turned, leaving with a slow chuckle. Jane blinked her unswollen eye before turning to Dr. Chakwas with a bewildered look on her bruised face.

"Did Grunt just accept me as his leader?" Jane asked.

"I think he did," The doctor replied.

Jane looked back at the door.

"Huh," She said with a slight shrug, "I didn't see that coming."

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Mordin examined the information on his datapad as he entered the Normandy. After Sticks had dragged an unconscious Jane back to the ship Mordin had made quick work to get to the dead krogan's body. His ribs had been crushed, piercing his heart. The impact of Jane's knees to the krogan's chest and then with the ground was what had killed him. Mordin was certain that by the time Jane started on the Alien's face he was already dead.

He wasn't surprised by her uncontrollable rage and brutality. Mordin had seen it all on Tuchanka and he knew that by the time she left that rock in a healing tube Jane Shepard had become extremely efficient at the art of killing krogan even with her fear of them. The sound of hushed conversation filled his ears making him look up, Mordin's large eyes blinking. He was in the mess hall now and four sets of eyes were watching him. Garrus, Joker, Sticks and Kaiden were sitting at the largest table and Mordin could only assume they had been conversing about the hottest topic on the Normandy, Jane Shepard.

"Has she always been like that?" Kaiden asked, his arms crossed over his chest as he slouched in his chair. Sticks wanted to answer and say no, but he hadn't known her as long as the Salarian obviously had. He had never seen her do something so brutal before, but he had seen her do things before… things that most people would never do.

"No and Yes. Always does what's necessary for mission. Extremely violent when backed in a corner," Mordin answered as he switched off his datapad. All eyed were on him, unwavering.

"You were on Tuchanka with her weren't you?" Sticks asked, his arms resting on the table.

"Yes."

"She was on Tuchanka?" Kaiden asked, his voice laced with surprise.

"Yes. Stationed there after graduation from academy. She was N3 then, serving under an," Mordin took a sharp break, "inexperienced commander. Helped distribute the genophage. Helped give extra protection. Had to do terrible things, very good at it."

"Do you know someone named Mahogany?" Sticks asked him. He needed to know who it was. It had been bugging him since he heard her utter the name in her sleep.

"Yes, Mahogany graduated with Jane. Put on same team as her with his brother Georgie. They were friends."

Sticks sat back in his seat. They were friends. He was Georgie's brother. It was starting to make sense now.

"She said to ask you if I wanted to know what the huge scar on her back is from," Joker started, fiddling with his hat slightly. "How did she get it?"

"We were camped for the night," Mordin started, pacing as he continued the story. "Perimeter set up, people stationed for watch. It was early, changing of shifts. We didn't expect krogan to know we were there. Staying hidden was our job, we were good at it. I was careless as I attended to an infection on Mahogany's leg, had fallen and sliced it open. My watch, my mistake."

He paused for a moment, his big eyes staring at the ground, filled with remorse. He looked as if he didn't want to continue with the story, but no one said anything. They all wanted him to continue. Mordin looked up and started his pace again.

"A group of krogan stormed the camp, caught us off guard. Not quick enough. Krogan charged me. Would have died if not for Jane. Pushed me out of the way, got impaled on a piece of equipment. Killed krogan before she went down. Destroyed left lung. Artificial lung."

The group fell into silence as they looked at the Salarian. They were at a loss for words, the only sound coming from them being when Joker shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Mordin sighed inwardly. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all. He knew no matter what that Sticks would remain loyal to her, but the others… without loyalty the mission would fail.

"I knew she was badass the moment she walked onto this ship," Joker exclaimed. "Sure she might be a little crazy, but who isn't on this bird. I mean everything she does is… what's he doing?"

The group looked where Joker was pointing just in time to see the tail end of Grunt disappear into the medical bay where the unconscious commander was. Sticks rose to his feet but when he heard booming laughter he paused. The krogan was laughing and he could only hope that it was a good thing. He stood there on alert until the door swished open and Grunt stepped out. He didn't acknowledge any of them as he made his way to the elevator. Moments later Jane walked out of the medical bay, her bandaged arms hanging at her sides. She was still dressed in her black tank top and black pants, her boots untied. Her brown hair was pulled back and when she looked over at them she smiled weakly. Sticks felt his stomach drop when he caught sight of her face. One eye was black and completely swollen, her lip busted and bruised. She looked like she had been hit by a cruiser and the wince that crossed her face as she turned to them to quickly told him she felt like it to.

"Are you alright?" Sticks asked. She looked at him, smiled and gave him a nod.

"As good as I can be, considering. How long was I out?"

"About four hours. You took one hell of a beating Jane," Kaiden said.

"I know, I can feel it all over. So when's the meeting?"

"Tomorrow morning," Sticks replied quickly. "I'll go with you."

"Alright, I want Garrus and Thane going with me to. I want Kasumi ghosting the hallway and Kaiden you keep everything on lockdown on the ship. I also want Jack and Grunt prowling looking for anyone suspicious."

"You think something's going to happen?" Garrus asked, finally joining the conversation. She looked over at him, her one eye hard as steel.

"I have a feeling that The Shade is on Omega and I want them looking for anything that might be suspicious."

"No one even knows what he looks like," Kaiden added.

"Have them look for a man with red-brown hair and blue eyes. Can you give the orders Alenko?"

"Sure."

"Good, I think I'm going to take a shower."

"Need any help in there?" Joker asked with a smirk. She rolled her eye at him before she walked away.

"You're the wrong species Joker and I wouldn't want to hurt you."

When she disappeared into the elevator a collective chuckle came from the people around him, making his eyes narrow at them.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up. I didn't hear invite any of you along either. At least I had the balls to ask."

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Thane clutched the side of the sink as his coughs racked his body, trying desperately to keep his balance. They had been getting worse, his lungs deteriorating at an alarming rate. He couldn't give up, not now that there was something worth fighting for. A sharp intake of breath made him cough again, gagging as one of his hands shot up to his mouth. He coughed hard, a splatter of moisture against the palm of his hand making him fall still. Thane pulled his hand away and a small splatter of dark blood was staining his flesh. It was worse than he thought.

"It's getting worse isn't it?" A feminine voice asked from the doorway behind him.

He whirled around, fist clenching shut in an attempt to hide the evidence. The woman was standing there, her tattooed arms hanging by her sides with her hands clenched in fists as she tried to keep control on her frustration.

"Jack," Thane started, but she just cut him off.

"Why didn't you say something? You need to tell Jane. Being in your state can endanger the mission."

Thane couldn't hold back a small smile, but it only made her frown. She still tried to act like she didn't give a damn, but he knew better. Ever since that time with John, Jack had been different, more human than before.

"I'll tell her in due time. I can still do my duty on this mission. When it becomes no longer possible I will stay on the ship."

"You promise?"

"I promise," Thane replied, receiving a skeptical look from Jack. She let out a sigh before she looked up at him, seriousness on her face. Her hair had grown out some and Thane had to admit that he liked it, the signs of curly hair just becoming evident.

"Can't we have her ask the Illusive Man if there's a cure?" Jack said, her voice pleading.

"There is no cure."

"But, the Illusive Man brought John back to life how can there not be a cure for you!" Jack yelled, her voice angry. She couldn't stand the injustice of it all. He grabbed her by the shoulder with his free hand.

"I have accepted my fate. It is my burden to bare alone."

Jack narrowed her eyes at him as she threw his hand away from her shoulder.

"That's bullshit and you know it," Jack growled before she stomped out of the bathroom and down the corridor. Thane did know it was bullshit, all of it was. At one time he had been ready to die, but now it seemed like there was something to live for.


	15. Chapter 15

Jane snapped her pistol into her holster before looking at the commotion around her. Garrus and Sticks were standing ten feet away from each other, checking their guns for the last time. Jack and grunt were standing together, Jack laughing about something while Grunt grinned widely. Kasumi was perched on the railing around the large map console and Kaiden was standing beside her with his arms crossed over his chest and had an irked look on his face. Jane smirked. The guy absolutely hated being left behind. It wasn't her second in command that worried her though, it was Thane.

His skin was pale and his eyes were foggy and unfocused. He was worse than he was letting on. The drell stifled a cough, his posture never wavering. He was a trooper, but Jane couldn't afford a sick comrade going into a meeting with her. It would ruin the strong front Jane wanted to portray and she couldn't afford that.

"Thane," Jane said sharply, the drell's attention snapping to her.

"Yes," Thane answered.

"You're out this mission. Legion you're taking his place," she commanded, her grey eyes cutting to Thane once again. "When I get back you and I are going to have a talk."

Thane just nodded, a look of disappointment coming to his face. His shoulders dropped forward slightly and Jane knew that she might have upset him, but the visible fatigue that was washing over Thane made her know for certain that she had made the right decision.

"Jane," Legion spoke up from his place to her left. "Are you sure I am right for this mission?"

Jane looked over at the Geth, a toothy grin gracing her face as she nodded.

"Of course I'm sure," Jane said with a laugh before she looked over at Kaiden and gave him a poignant look. "Watch the ship while I'm gone. Everyone else you know what to do."

Jane left in a flurry of loud footsteps, Garrus, Sticks and Legion following her closely. Grunt and Jack gave each other a nod before heading off and Kasumi gave Kaiden a playful shove as she hopped off the railing.

"Don't look so down Kaiden," She said with a playful smile, "We'll be back."

Then in an instant she was gone.

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Jane walked down the corridor towards the meeting room, her mind an unsteady sea. The footsteps of herself and her tow turian companions were lost in the echo of Legion's footfalls on the metal ground of omega. He was walking beside her and though she was looking ahead of her, all Jane's attention was on the geth. She was still extremely fascinated by him and the short conversation she'd had with him on the ship while repairing him had only intensified her curiosity. Jane wanted to know what made him tick.

"Do you have an inquiry Jane?"

"Just curious about you that's all," Jane replied as she looked over at him.

His plates flared slightly.

"What is curious?" Legion asked, making Jane smile. He was practically a killing machine, but was as clueless as a kid at times.

"Being curious…" Jane stumbled, trying to think of a way to explain it. She couldn't remember how she had learned what it was. She had always been curious and it just seemed natural to her.

"Do you need help explaining?" Jane heard Garrus ask behind her, his voice smug. She couldn't stop her shoulders from tightening in irritation, but she otherwise ignored him.

"You remember when you asked me about my reaction when my brother is mentioned?"

"Yes," Legion's mechanical voice answered.

"That was curiosity. It's something that you want to know, not that you need…"

"To learn more about teammates I downloaded files on all of them. This is curiosity?" Legion asked.

"You got files on everyone?" Sticks asked, his voice dropping low.

"Yes, Bartleby Monroe," Legion answered.

"Bartleby?" Garrus laughed, "What the hell kind of name is that for a turian?"

"It's Sticks," the turian grumbled as he glowered at the back of the geth.

"What kind of turian parents would name their kid that?" Garrus ribbed.

"The kind that leave you to die on some back water planet don't give their kids names," Sticks replied, his voice haunted. Garrus stared for a moment and when he went to reply a quick look from the woman in charge made him bite his tongue.

"Now is not the fucking time," Jane said as they stopped in front of a heavy metal-plated door. She looked between the three before she heaved a sigh and smiled. "Time to get your game faces on boys."

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Author's note: Sorry it's so short. My life has been hectic lately and I'm really sorry that it's taking me so long to update this story. Hopefully I will have the next part posted by next week. I'm really glad that you guys like Sticks as much as I do. He is really fun to write and so is Jane. Again, apologies for the lack of updates and how short this one is. I'll try to make the next one longer.


	16. Chapter 16

It wasn't going well; she knew that and so did the rag tag team that was standing supportively behind her. Sticks had pulled his gun out awhile ago, Garrus was standing stiff and at the ready and Legion… she had never heard the geth so quiet before. Her whole speech had gone to shit and though she had gotten Eclipse and a good amount of freelancers to fight the good fight, Blood Pack and the Blue Suns were not buying it. There was an elephant in the room and Jane Shepard was certain that it was the ever illusive Shade.

"If the Shade doesn't join I don't see any point of us needing too," a war hardened krogan rumbled.

Jane tsk'ed… There was that damned elephant.

"How can you put stock in a guy who's too big of a pussy to show his face? None of you have ever seen him and yet you're putting your faith in some ghost that doesn't give two shits about you or me or anyone else for that matter!" Jane exclaimed as she narrowed her eyes at him. The krogan was unaffected as he stared back at her. Jane's trigger finger was itching, but she knew if she blew the krogan to hell it would only dampen her cause more than it already was.

"I've seen him," A voice rang out, shattering the tense silence that had fell on the room. Jane's grey eyes flicked to where the voice had originated from.

A female quarian was sitting atop a crate, one leg dangling over the side while the other was pulled towards her. Her black envirosuit had blue stitching and hugged her feminine curves. Her fluorescent green eyes glowed through the mask of her helmet and one of her hands rested coolly on the pistol on her hip. The quarian couldn't be old, but one could never tell through all the hardware. And the way she tapped on the butt of her pistol with one of her long fingers mockingly gave Jane the impression that the girl had a lot of confidence in her skill. Jane smirked at this as she scratched at the back of her neck. Confidence was good, but over confidence made you cocky and cockiness got you killed.

"You've seen the Shade?" Garrus asked skepticism in his voice. The quarian tilted her head at him in a condescending manner.

"That's what I said isn't it?" She replied, an amused smile in her voice.

"Who the hell are you?" A batarian in blue suns armor piped up.

"The names Kalii Nyaa. The Shade sends his apologies that he couldn't come himself, but he sent me with a message," Kalii paused for a moment, cleared her throat, then continued, "How can you trust the Alliance and Cerberus' shaky truce. They hunt you down, oppress the very thing that you are. On many occasions they have left us in the Terminus system to die. How can you trust their words? How can you trust the face of their Alliance when Jane Shepard can't even keep her subordinates alive?"

Murmurs were heard around the room, but Jane could only focus on one thing and that was the female quarian who had just jumped down from her sitting area and completely ruined all of her chances of getting the Blood Pack and the Blue Suns on her side.

"I'm with the Shade."

There went the Blood Pack.

"Same here."

And the Blue Suns.

Jane would never admit it, but at that moment she didn't care. The mercenaries spilled out of the room leaving only her and her crew and the quarian. Kalii was standing there with her head tilted slightly to the side, her hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her feet. Sticks grip tightened on his gun as he watched the two females in the room.

"Nice pets," Kalii said suddenly as she took a step forward. "I heard about your turian fetish. I have to admit, I like them too."

Kalii eyed Sticks before going over to Garrus, one of her and reaching out and grabbing by the chin. Sticks watched as Garrus' mandibles flared in irritation and he was glad the bitch wasn't touching him. Kalii looked away from Garrus and to Jane.

"Can I have him?" She asked innocently.

"Keep your hands off him," Jane replied as she ripped Kalii's hand away from Garrus.

"Oh…feisty," the quarian said before letting out a sigh and turning for the door.

"See you around KK."

Sticks had seen a lot of different emotions from Jane since he had met her, but the look on her face and the fierceness of her eyes when those last words spilled from the quarian's mouth. And before any of them could react Jane was gone, pounding feet out of the room and going straight for the offending girl.

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KK was something that she hadn't been called in a long time and when the quarian thought she could spout it out with such nonchalance, something inside the brunette commander snapped. One minute she was in the shady meeting room and the next she was on the hallway's ground with Kalii pinned underneath her and Jane's clenched fist was full of fabric from the quarian's helmet

"The next time that bastard has something to say to me tell him he better not send one of his whore's, but do it himself. And if I ever see your fucking face again I swear I rip your fucking helmet off and kick you into the void," Jane threatened, her voice low and lethal.

"I'm shaking with anticipation," Kalii replied with a laugh.

Jane's eyes narrowed as her grip on the fabric of the helmet tightened. She could just rip the helmet off now couldn't she? Would anyone even really give a shit if the bitch died? She felt a tug at the collar of her armor, a talon scraping at the back of her neck, before she was hauled off harshly. Jane stumbled slightly before she found her footing. Looking over her shoulder quickly she saw Sticks standing there looking down at her with a confused look. His mandibles flared slightly. The neon lights of the hallway danced off the dark grey skin f his face, purple eyes ablaze. Jane would have been frightened of him if she hadn't known him. He was concerned and when he spoke his voice gave him away.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

She didn't say anything as she tried to rip herself from his grasp and go for the quarian. But he just held her there, rocking gently at her attempts. Kalii pushed herself from the ground before dusting herself off dramatically. The quarian wasn't phased at all by Jane's attack; it was almost as if she had been expecting it.

"It's best if you got out of here. If you stick around I won't be as nice," Garrus said as he flipped the safety off his pistol.

"The hypocrisy of the Archangel," Kalii let out a small laugh, "I'll make sure to give that Shade your message, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear it."

Kalii gave them one more condescending wave before she sauntered off, a hop in her step only angering Jane more.

"Inquiry," Legion rambled, grabbing Jane's attention. "I have an unexplainable urge to…shoot her…what is this called?"

"Anger," Jane answered, "It's completely natural."

A sharp whistle came from Legion as his faceplates flared. Jane huffed as she finally freed herself from Sticks' grasp, getting a look from the Turian.

"We should head back to the Normandy," Sticks said, "Tell the other's what happened."

Jane nodded before she headed down the corridor, the others falling in behind her. For a brief moment she heard Garrus contacting the others before her thoughts overwhelmed her. She had been right, Mahogany was the Shade and he had it out for her. After all this time he was still mad? Jane couldn't blame him though; the guilt of what happened on Akuze, what happened to Georgie, still ran deep through her. No matter how hard she hoped or wished, things were never going to be like when they were seventeen and back at the Academy. Back when they still had each other and when their promise still meant something.

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_ "If we get caught out here I'm saying you forced us," Georgie said as he followed Jane into the decontamination room, making his way to a large grey space suit. The suits were used when repairs needed to be made to the artillery that protected the Citadel. It was strictly forbidden for students to be anywhere outside, but Jane had talked them into it._

_ "Don't be a pussy Georgie," Mahogany said before cuffing Georgie in the back of the head. "Nobody would believe that story anyway. Everybody knows Jane's got you wrapped around her finger."_

_ "Look who's talking Maho," Georgie retorted, smacking his twin in the chest._

_"I just come along to keep the two of you out of trouble."_

_ A small scuffle broke out behind her and Jane lazily looked over her shoulder at her two companions. Georgie had Mahogany in a head lock, his short blonde hair wild on his head as he frowned down at his brother that was punching him in the stomach. She laughed to herself at the sight of them. They might have been twins, but they were polar opposites._

_ Georgie had blonde hair, green eyes and was built like a rock. He was loyal and trustworthy to a fault and the friendlier of the two. Mahogany had that reddish brown hair and sharp blue eyes that were always calculating and skeptical. He was leaner than Georgie, but was ruthless when it came to a fight. He would be downright frightening if you didn't know him, but Jane trusted him with her life. She trusted both of them with her life._

_ "Would you both cut it out! We stick together because we're friends and that's what friends do," Jane said. The boys untangled from each other and Georgie smiled at her._

_ "Exactly," Georgie said as he put an arm around her shoulders. "We'll be there for each other until the end."_

_ "Yeah, until the end," Mahogany agreed. _

_ Jane smiled._

_ "Until the end."_

_ "Hey did you hear about the turian Specter coming to the school tomorrow to talk to us?" Georgie asked as he let go of Jane and went for a suit, changing the subject like he always did. Jane couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she looked down at the helmet in her hands. Friends…until the end. It sounded so nice to her, a promise she could count on._

_ "Yeah, I heard. Jane is going to be all over him…with that weird alien fetish she has," Mahogany teased._

_ "Shut up!" _


	17. Chapter 17

Jane leaned against the protective railing of the projection table in the meeting room. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her grey eyes were scanning over the drell standing in front of her. He was all business as usual, with his ramrod straight posture and his hands held behind his back. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either. His double eyelids blinked as he waited for her to speak.

Ugh… she really didn't want to have this conversation. Thane was a major asset to the team, they needed his desperately. Plus, Jane had a nagging feeling in the back of her brain that if Thane wasn't around a certain biotic would be hard to control. Jane was positive it wasn't romantic between the two, but they understood each other on some strange level. Jane could understand that.

"I talked to Mordin," Jane finally started, "He says that you've had this before you joined Johnny and that it's an incurable disease."

"Yes. It's nothing I cannot cope with," Thane replied, his stance shifting slightly. Jane wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, but the drell grew even tenser. She really didn't think it was possible.

"From what I understand Keprals is a degenerative disease. You know its progressing faster and yet you stay and fight. Why do you stay? And what makes you think that you're still capable to fight?"

Thane stood silent for a moment, unblinking and breathless. He was the poster boy for a perfect assassin, a living shadow that they all wished to be. But he was dying, the rapid dullness of his skin color visibly showing how taxing the disease was being on his very life. Jane needed him, the cause needed him. But if his answer wasn't worthy of her giving him a final chance then she would boot him immediately. There were more important things than the drell's pride.

"I have done many things in my life, bad things. I've killed people that deserve it and some that did not. I've been lost in the darkness for a long time, feeding off of it, creating it, just like Jack…like you," Thane started, passing her a poignant glance before he continued.

"It has been the only thing I have known for a long time and I helped spread it. I have never saved a life, only taken them. I feel like if I can help create a spark of light, of hope, in the darkness that will soon consume us all then I will be able to die in peace."

Jane stayed silent as she watched him. He was nervous, the small tick by his left eye giving the drell away. She finally let out a small sigh before pushing herself away from the railing, her arms crossing over her narrow chest. It was moments like these that really made Jane wish she was still back on the Citadel arguing with a Hanar over permits and the Enkindlers.

"You have a son, right? Kolyat?" Jane finally asked. Thane blinked before he answered.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I can find out anything I want about anyone on this ship. I'm entitled to that kind of information because I'm commander…" Jane started, pausing momentarily to eye the drell. She couldn't believe it had taken so long to figure it out. "Kolyat came to work under Bailey a few months back. He was doing community service to make up for some bad deeds if I remember correctly. He's a good guy, a little angry at times, but who isn't."

There was another beat of silence between the two, the question of him staying still going unanswered. Jane scratched at her brown hair before she straightened her posture, giving him the serious eye.

"I'm allowing you to stay, but the minute that you feel unfit or I think you're unfit to continue active duty you're staying on the ship. I also want you to keep getting treatments from Chakwas. Mordin said that you had stopped them awhile back and if you stay you will continue with the antibiotics. Are we clear on the terms?"

He nodded a silent conformation of his agreement. She gave him a warm smile before turning to leave, a crackle from the com stopping her in her tracks. Jane let out a huff before hanging her head. All she wanted to do was go back to her shitty room and lie down and watch the trash from the shoot drift off into space. Was that too much to ask? The meeting had only been a forty-five percent success and she found out that an old friend wanted her dead. Jane had, had a lot of bad days in her life, but this one was in the top fifteen.

"Uh, Jane?" Joker's voice questioned over the com.

"What is it Joker?"

"Anderson is on the line and he wants to speak with you."

"Get Kaiden in here then patch me through."

"Roger that."

Thane became flush with the wall, the chill of the paneling making its way through his leathers and to his skin. The chill faintly bothered him, a foreshadowing of something to come, a kiss of approaching death. He blinked, his cloudy gaze landing on the commander who was fiddling with some of her brown hair. She suddenly looked nervous, not demanding the respect and overpowering authority was just moments before.

Jane hadn't dismissed him, but he suddenly felt like he was going to be intruding on something private. She tugged down on her shirt as she cleared her throat. The whoosh from the door opening filled the silent room as Commander Alenko walked in. He was a professional sort that Thane could respect, a man that followed a code, even if their codes were different. As Kaiden strode into the room he gave Thane a nod of acknowledgement, Thane giving him a quick nod back.

"Patch us through Joker," Jane said, passing Kaiden and Thane a glance.

A crackle came through the come before a strong, authoritive voice boomed, followed by a holographic of the councilor cut off at the torso. He looked tired and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes seemed more prominent on his rough face.

"It's been a while sir. How are things back at the cage?" Jane asked. Anderson smiled slightly. Her nickname for the Citadel had amused him since the first time he had heard it, back when she was in the academy.

"Quiet since a certain menace left," Anderson jibed, getting a soft snort from Jane.

"Sorry I'm not there to entertain you all," Jane replied. Kaiden shifted beside her, trying desperately to stay quiet. He still wasn't used to the way Jane talked to Anderson. Her brother had never been like that. "So what do we owe the pleasure?"

"A group of Citadel security went to Virmire to help open the base there. There hasn't been activity in years from anyone, not even mercenary groups. We would like you and your crew to go to Virmire and help with establishing a secure perimeter."

"Sir," Kaiden interjected. "It sounds like something for the regular military could do."

"The council thought that it would be best if your unit went. Plus, the crew there found something interesting that might just help with the mission."

"Oh yeah?" Jane questioned. "What is it?"

"They believe that it might be a fragment of a Prothean beacon, but they don't have any scientists to analyze it."

"I'm sure Mordin will find it fascinating. We'll set a course for Virmire now, sir."

"Good luck…and be careful Jane," Anderson said, his hard face softening through the holographic glow.

"Of course sir," Jane replied before the transmission was cut. "Joker plot a course for Virmire."

"Already on it Jane," Joker replied.

"Good," Jane sighed before she started for the door, giving Kaiden a violent slap in the chest as she passed him. "I'm going to go take a nap."

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Kaiden pushed the meatball across his plate, his dark eyes not taking anything in, his brain on their current destination. It was where Ashley had died instead of him. John had made the hard decision, a decision that Kaiden wasn't sure he could have ever made. His last time on Virmire had been a turning point in the fight against Saren. It was where Kaiden really saw what it meant to be a commander. He also experienced the first death that would haunt him until the rest of his days. He knew it was illogical to dwell on it and that Ashley would kick his ass for doing it, but he just couldn't help himself. A soldier's first duty was to complete the mission at all costs, even if it meant losing one's life. John and Ashley were perfect examples of Alliance soldiers and he just hoped that he could live up to their standards. And he hoped to hell that Jane knew what she was doing.

The meeting with the mercenaries had basically failed and even though they had Eclipse on their side, they still hadn't met with the leaders. They would have to if they wanted to solidify the Alliance. If they didn't it would just be more empty words. He ran one of his large hands down his face as he let out a heavy sigh. Shit was already going wrong and the little faith that he had gained in the young Shepard was wavering. They should have been preparing for Virmire instead of taking a nap. What the…had the council gone insane, picking her over everyone else?

A small hand jutted toward his plate, their fork piercing his meatball before lifting it from the plate. He looked up to see Jane munching away at his food, her hair in a neat ponytail. She was watching him with her calculating grey eyes, one of her brows arched. She pointed at his plate of food with her for before pointing at him.

"You need to eat so you can keep your wits about you. I need you leading a team on Virmire."

He nodded his head in response, his words stuck in his throat. John would have said something like that.

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Author's note: sorry it took so long to update and sorry its short. I hope your still reading and enjoying. Hope to update again soon.


	18. Chapter 18

Miranda was sweating. If there was anything she hated more than imperfection it would be the humidity on the beach planet. She squinted against the sun as her and her team made their way to the south end of the base. It was the first time since Jane had taken over that Miranda had been chosen for a mission where she left the ship… well everyone had come, broken off into three squads to help in different spots of the base. Miranda had to admit that she was surprised the she had been chosen or more simply allowed to go on the mission, her being a Cerberus agent and all. But when one way playing hardball with an enemy that could wipe out life completely, those types of technicalities didn't matter anymore.

Hell, Miranda knew Jane still didn't trust her because Sticks wouldn't be in her squad if she had. Grunt was with her also, a fact that made Miranda feel like Jane thought she was someone that couldn't handle themselves. Then there was Garrus, the only presence on her squad that didn't set her on edge. If it wasn't for him she would have died back on that Collector base. Miranda came to a stop, her light eyes traveling over the structure looming in front of her. It was a large building made of concrete and metal paneling. The local greenery was snaking its way up the walls, disappearing and reappearing through fine cracks in the concrete.

"This place is a dump. It's not suitable for a stronghold," Miranda exasperated.

"Virmire is the perfect place for a launching pad, the perfect place to stage an attack in alliance space. It's valuable," Garrus stated as he slipped his rifle back into its holster on his back, "even if it isn't pretty."

"If she can get it up and running maybe it will be useful."

"She will," Sticks said suddenly, his voice unwavering. Miranda looked back at him. The turian had been wearing his helmet when they first arrived, but now it was hanging from one of his hands. His face was like stone, but his purple eyes were ablaze. "Jane always gets the job done."

Miranda didn't reply as she turned away from him and headed up the nearest ramp. Jane Shepard might have had the faith of that idiotic turian, but she had yet to do a damn thing that proved herself worthy of Miranda's trust.

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"Fascinating. Centuries old. Not whole piece, broken at bottom. Yes."

Kaiden huffed as he listened to the scientist ramble on. They had been in the large cave for a good hour and the constant sound of dripping water and Mordin's rants were starting to make him feel claustrophobic. He shifted his stance as he leaned against a rock. The artifact had been found in a cave system on the east side of the island, a good four miles away from base camp. A whirling noise came from Legion as he looked over Mordin's shoulder. Kaiden was fine where he was at, remembering all too well what had happened to Shepard the last time they had gotten too close to something that was Prothean. Kaiden squeezed his eyes shut as a rough feminine laugh pierced his calm. Thinking of Shepard made him think of Ashley. It made him think of the choice that was made that turned Virmire into a grave. A flash of white and pink crossed his closed eyelids, making them snap open. Kaiden pinched the bridge of his nose as his gaze fell to the sand beneath his feet.

_"This is the first time I've ever seen the beach."_

Her voice echoed in his head, making Kaiden grit his teeth. Ashley's voice pained him more than his L2 biotic implant ever could.

"Are you okay there Kaiden?" A soft, feminine voice asked, temporarily releasing him from his inner torment.

Kasumi was perched beside him on a large storage crate, one of her slender legs thrown over the side. She was looking at him intently, her full lips in a slight frown that Kaiden had never seen before.

"Fine, why?" He answered as he relaxed his clenched hand and jaw.

"You were looking a little pale. Something on your mind?"

"Ghosts."

"Ah," Kasumi said, "we all have those."

A small laugh rocked Kaiden's shoulders as he looked away from her and to the unlikely duo looking over the artifact.

"Yeah," Kaiden sighed, "I guess you're right."

Kaiden kicked himself away from his perch and toward Mordin and Legion. A few C-Sec grunts were hanging about, looking as confused and as bored as they felt. Kaiden didn't blame them, he would have been just as confused if he hadn't dealt with prothean artifacts before… but the boredom was there. Science never was his think, always seeming to lead to something unsavory.

"Most fascinating. Must look at it in lab," Mordin quipped, getting one of the C-Sec officer's attention.

"All the lab equipment is in here. It's all we have."

Mordin's big eyes blinked in horror as he took a step back. The lab equipment the blonde was talking about was one table with a microscope, a rack of solutions, a few beakers, and a very old computer with a data pad port.

"Lab on Normandy much better," Mordin said.

"Well Joker had to make a run for fuel and won't be back until this evening," Kaiden replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. Mordin stared at him for a moment before turning toward the table.

"Will have to do. Legion can you help? Information in your databank would be most helpful."

The geth let out a whirl, his face plates flaring as he walked toward the Salarian, the sand sinking under his weight.

"Yes. Have 1,247 files on prothean's that were collected by the heretics. We will send them to your omni-tool."

Mordin's long fingers raced across the orange glow of his omni-tool, a smirk coming to his large mouth.

"Most fascinating. So much information. Will be here all night."

Kaiden tried to suppress his groan at the scientist's words. Being hunkered in a cave all night was bad enough, but to be stuck with an overactive scientist Salarian, a walking machine, and three C-Sec rookies was going to make it one of the longest nights of his life. A giggle broke out beside him, making him jump slightly. She was smiling again, that smile that seemed to promise things… well at least he had her there to keep him sane.

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Bailey frowned as he looked down at the data pad, pulling his cup of coffee away from his lips. The place was a damned mess and had more work to be done than he had anticipated. The amount of officers that he was able to bring with him would never get the job done in the allotted amount of time. Bailey had argued for more, hell even a few soldiers in case the enemy to make a fanciful appearance, but he had been denied.

Bailey felt his coffee cup lifted from his hand and when he looked up at the theif he saw a pair of gunpowder grey eyes staring back at him. Her brown hair was held back and a nice shiner discolored the skin around her right eye. Her bottom lip was cut and swollen, but that smile she gave him when she pulled the cup away was as cocky and warm as always.

"Your coffee's cold Bailey," Jane said as she handed it back.

He didn't say anything for a moment as he tired blue eyes looked her over, landing on the N6 emblem on her collar that showed the soldier she truly was. He gave a gruff laugh before he slapped her roughly on the shoulder.

"Damn, am I glad to see your sorry face. What are you doing here?"

"Anderson thought you might need some help around here."

Bailey looked at Jane for a moment before looking at the two at her side. The woman was covered in ink, her dark brown hair cut short, barely hiding the tattoos on her scalp. She was wearing a black leather, sleeveless shirt that zipped up the middle with loose jeans that tucked into a pair of black boots that had enough buckles on them to issue new belts to every C-Sec officer on Virmire. She had a hard look about her that was only slightly shattered by the broken look in her eyes. Thane was to the woman's right, looking as professional and deadly as the day Bailey had met him.

"I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but there are only three of you."

"There are more of us, don't worry Bailey. They're around."

Believing Jane was like believing in his mother, he had to. Plus, the girl had never lied to him before…when it mattered at least.

The banter between the two Alliance members stopped, Thane's attention wavering. He looked to the silent woman next to him. Her brown eyes were scanning the area, her brow creased in slight suspicion. Jack was looking for exits, like she always did, incase things got bad. The petite woman might have made progress since she had stepped foot on the Normandy, but some habits never went away. Thane knew that fact all too well.

"This place gives me the fucking creeps and she's not helping. She hasn't even given any attention to her surroundings. We're all going to fucking die because of her," Jack mumbled as her tattooed arms crossed over her chest.

Thane blinked, his eyes going back to the commander. Though Thane would never tell her, Jack was wrong. Jane had been surveying their surroundings since they set foot on the sand. It was in the subtle looks, the quick glances she took when talking to Bailey. Jane was a specialist in observation, a trained soldier. At first he hadn't been sure about her capability, but now he was certain she could get the job done. While her brother showed his prowess in huge actions, hers were subtler, barely noticed unless one was really searching for it. It showed in the way she interacted with Sticks and Bailey, her way with Legion or how she handled Aria and the mercenary fight. John had been a hero right out of a movie, righteous down to his core. Jane on the other hand…Thane had a feeling the girl would do anything to get the job done, even if it meant delving deeper into the darkness she was so comfortable in. Plus, he wouldn't count heroic actions out completely; she was a Shepard after all.

"So are you going to show me the layout or what?" Jane asked with a small laugh, a grin on her face.

"Actually I'm do for a conference call with my bed," Bailey said, making a disgusted sound come from Jane, "but I got someone to show you around in my absence. Hey kid!"

Thane's eyes grew wide as he saw a bluish-green figure coming toward him in a brand new C-Sec uniform. He looked like his mother, a fact Thane was happy for. The drell came to an abrupt stop in front of them, his double lids blinking as he looked at his father.

"You never told me told me you were a C-Sec officer now. It wasn't in any of your letters," Thane said as his arms fell to his sides and his hands formed fists. He wanted to reach out and hug his son like he wanted to do back on the Citadel, like he should have done at his wife's funeral.

"There are a lot of things I haven't told you," Kolyat replied. He was on the defensive, his posture stiff like his fathers.

"Well congratulations," Thane said.

"Thank you," Kolyat whispered, his eyes drifting away uncomfortably.

Jane let out a huff as she watched the two. They stood right in front of each other, but didn't know what to say, as uncomfortable with each other as if they were strangers. Thane flinched, one of his hands relaxing before it formed a fist again. His face might have been expressionless, but Thane's hand was telling her everything. Unsaid words and undone actions were always the stuff that haunted one in the end.

"Well how about that tour Kolyat?" Jane finally asked, snapping the younger drell's trance.

"Yeah, sure commander. This way," He replied as he gestured with his hand for them to follow.

She quickly fell into step with him, casting a glance over her shoulder to see Thane fall in behind them, melancholy in his eyes as he watched his son's back. Jack walked beside him, nudging his arm as she told him something. Thane shook his head slightly, making Jack throw her hands up in aggravation. Jane looked ahead again, her brow furrowed and her gunpowder gaze distant as her mind wandered to a pair of eyes that matched her own and to a smile that was always brighter than hers. Jane shook her head sharply as she made a fist, the scrunching sound of her glove getting Kolyat's attention.

"You okay commander?" He asked.

"Fine," She said curtly. She didn't want to think about her brother. Not at that moment or any moment that followed.

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"You're going to lose this time."

"The hell I am!"

Garrus watched the spectacle a few tables away from him, a look of puzzlement in his dark eyes. Jane and Sticks were playing the human game of strength that they had been playing the night he had met her. The turian had her in a pinch, his mandibles giving a little flare as a laugh escaped him. Jane frowned before she bent his wrist, strong arming him until his knuckles met the table top. She let go of him and threw her arms up in the air in triumph.

"I told you I would win!"

"You cheated! You immobilized me!" Sticks argued.

"Just a trick to winning, that's all. You should expect it by now."

Garrus kicked his feet up on the empty table in front of him, leaning his chair back on two legs. They were in the make shift mess hall having a breather and some dinner. Kaiden and his group hadn't made it back yet, something having to do with the prothean artifact and Mordin not wanting to stop his research. It didn't surprise Garrus in the least, but he knew that Kaiden had to be going crazy in that cave. The guy never did too well in underground places.

The rest of the crew was there, spread through the room eating, cleaning weapons, talking, and in Jack's case using the surface of a table as a pillow as she slept. Thane was sitting next to her, struggling to have a conversation with his estranged son as Grunt cleaned his shotgun at the end of the table. Miranda was eating and looking over some file, looking put out like she always did as she sat by herself. Some of the C-Sec officers were eyeing her and Garrus was certain that they would have gone and talked to her if she didn't have that downright deadly look on her face.

"You want to take a crack at it Garrus," a feminine voice rang out, bringing his attention back to the commander and her lackey.

"No thanks," Garrus replied.

"What, you too busy doing calibrations?" Sticks said with a mocking laugh.

Sticks and Jane passed each other a glance, a smirk coming to the girls face. Garrus grumbled. He could still remember when him and John had been like them, sharing looks that spoke more than words and that only they could understand. It was the look of friendship, the strongest kind. Garrus remembered when he used to think that his best friend could never be a human, but he had been proved wrong.

"I just don't feel like taking part in your games."

"Afraid you're going to lose?" Sticks asked. Dammit Garrus was really starting to hate that turian and his condescending ways.

"You're really…." A large boom shook the room, sending Garrus tumbling back with his chair, his head bouncing off the hard surface of the floor.

"What the fuck was that?"


	19. Chapter 19

"What the fuck was that!" Jack exclaimed as she bolted from her seat, her chair clattering to the floor.

Everyone fell silent as they listened, Garrus sitting up on his elbows as he waited for another sound. Jane's eyes shifted over to Sticks, his purple gaze already on her. A thunderous boom shook the room again before the sound of gunfire shattered the silence.

"We have enemy contact," A voice broke over the comm radio in the room. "We need back up!"

Jane rose from her chair, her hand going to the rifle on her back. She pulled it from its holster, checking the ammo count before clicking the safety off. A familiar crackle went off in her earpiece before an urgent voice rang out.

"Jane we're pinned down in a cave. We need assistance," Kaiden said. "There's enemies everywhere!"

"We're coming to you Kaiden, just sit tight," Jane answered before pulling her hand away from her ear. She took a quick survey of the room, all eyes on her, waiting for orders.

"Miranda take Thane, Grunt and Jack with you and assist the others," Jane commanded, "keep in radio contact. Garrus, Sticks on me."

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Kaiden took cover behind a large rock, pieces of it landing in his hair as another bullet ricocheted off the side. The firefight was deafening as the sound echoed off the granite walls.

"Shit."

He looked to his left, his gaze falling on Kasumi who was taking cover behind a large supply crate. Her back was pressed against the crate, her legs straight out in front of her as her left hand cradled a wound to her shoulder. The blood was just a glistening wetness against her black glove. She struggled to operate her omni-tool, trying to administer first aid to herself. He couldn't tell how bad it was from his position, but the paleness to her face had him worried. The orange glow from the omni-tool glistened off the blood, showing how much their actually was. Kaiden frowned as he popped a fresh heat sink into his rifle. He shot off a burst before going back to cover. He spotted Mordin and Legion taking cover behind the overturned lad table. His comm piece cracked, barely heard over the gunfire.

"I don't have any shields," Kasumi rasped.

"How bad is your injury?"

"I administered first aid and stopped the bleeding…I'll be okay."

He looked to Kasumi again and saw her in a crouching position, her wounded arm tucked into her body as she held her hand cannon in the other. Her hood had fallen back, revealing her. Kasumi's long, jet black hair was done in a braid and her eyes were almond shaped and as sharp as an eagle and just as dark. Her delicate brows were scrunched together as she peered around the crate, squeezing off three rounds before going back to cover. A ricocheting bullet brought Kaiden's attention back to the situation. He sent a shockwave burst, knocking five Vorcha flying back out the way they had come. Though they couldn't be flanked, the enemy was blocking the only way out and if Jane didn't get there soon they would be overwhelmed.

"Just give us the fragment," a vorcha hissed.

Kaiden's eyes widened as his head whipped back to Mordin. The fragment was tucked in a pouch on the salaraian's hip. Kaiden cursed himself. He should have known, it wasn't the first time someone had shot at him over something Prothean.

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Jack was fucking pissed and it wasn't the fact that she was following the cheerleader into battle. No she was past that shit even if she still didn't like the bitch. No, it was the fact that she had been mowing down assholes for a good fifteen minutes and there seemed to be no fucking end to them. Her biotics were running thin along with her ammo. Sure, she had been in worse positions, but something about this situation was clawing at her instincts. An explosion went off beside her, knocking Jack from cover and rolling across the gangway. She crashed into something hard, the person's armor biting into her bare arm.

A rumble of a laugh made her look up, her brown eyes landing on a pair of large blue ones. He looked away from her, resuming his relentless fire. The shots ringing from his shotgun rocked his massive shoulders. A blood thirsty roar ripped through his throat as his opponent toppled to the ground in a dead heap. Jack reached into her ammo pouch on her hip, grabbing the last of her ammo and slamming it into her gun. She stood, fired, and four Batarian's joined their comrades on the ground. The gangway shook beneath her, Jack spotting the cause of it before she returned to cover. She looked at her guns ammo counter…fifteen rounds left.

"Three heavy mechs coming this way," the krogan said beside her.

"I know," Jack yelled back, "we're fucked! I've only got fifteen rounds left."

The krogan shot off another round, a smirk coming to his face. Enemy rounds were bouncing harmlessly off his shields as he fired another shot before going to cover. His massive form took up most of the space, leaving Jack little room to move.

"How's your juice?" He asked, his voice rumbling from deep within his chest cavity.

"Enough for a couple more bursts maybe," Jack replied. The young woman didn't want to admit it, but lately her biotics were not lasting as long as they usually did.

"Strong enough to destroy those mechs?"

Jack didn't answer for a moment, pondering what the best strategy was. At the most she would be able to completely destroy one and cripple one other. That still left one mech fully functional and a small swarm of aliens and humans left to fight.

"Not all of them Grunt." Jack started before she put one of her tattooed hands to her comm. "Lawson we have a mech problem up here! Where the fuck are you?"

For a moment all she heard was silence before it cracked to life.

"I'm on my way," Miranda replied, her voice short and calm.

"Great now hurry up," Jack finished before she went back to shooting.

Eight rounds left.

Dammit, she was going to have to improvise.

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Jane sprinted across the open ravine, her breath ragged. She slid to a stop behind a tiny outcropping in the cliff wall. It was a terrible place for them to be, the sheer granite cliffs provided very little cover. Sweat poured down her neck and into her armor, tickling her back. The longer it took them to get to Kaiden and the others, the worse off the situation was going to get. Miranda radioed in. They were losing ground and taking heavy casualties.

"Jane what's going on down there?" Joker's voice asked as it rang in her ear.

"We're being attacked! How far out are you?"

"Ten minutes."

"Make your way to the base and assist Miranda and the others," Jane commanded as she switched from disruptor ammo to incendiary.

"Roger that," Joker replied.

"And Joker," Jane added as she slammed in a new heat sink, "Don't forget to come pick us up."

"You got it."

Then with a click she was alone again. She took in a deep breath through her nose, calming her racing heart down. She was about half a click away from Kaiden's position and the closer she got, the heavier the opposition became. There was only one reason she could think of as to why there was such a heavy number of enemies… they were after the Prothean artifact. It had to have more importance than what had been let on by Anderson. A bullet ricocheted off the granite wall, sending a shard into her cheek. She hissed out in pain, the warmth of the blood running down her cheek making her curse. Jane peered around the small outcropping and set her sights on the krogan and his vorcha lackeys that were causing her so much trouble. She squeezed off a round, the bullet hitting one of the vorcha straight in the chest. He went down with a thud, a small cloud of dust obscuring the body. The remaining vorcha screamed out and shot wildly, ignoring the Krogan's demands altogether. They rushed toward her position, firing rapidly. Bullets volleyed against the rock, trapping Jane in her squatting position.

_Wump…wump…wump_

The sound of bodies crashing to the ground made her peer around the outcropping, her eyebrow rising before she turned and looked behind her. Garrus was standing there, smoke slithering from the barrel of his sniper rifle. His mandibles twitched excitedly, his sharp teeth on display. His bird-like eyes looked at her for a moment before he ran forward, joining her in the small amount of covering, his back pressed flush against the granite wall.

"About fucking time, I was starting to think you ran away or something," Jane mocked.

"Well it's not as classy as an antique shop," Garrus mumbled. Jane looked at him for a moment, his eyes landing on the piece of rock embedded into her cheek. It was red and swollen, blood trickling all the way to her sharp chin. She didn't even seem to notice the pain.

"Kaiden's about half a click away from here," Jane said, ignoring his offhand comment. "Everything is going to shit real fast and if we don't make it in time Kaiden and the others are fucked. I refuse to lose anyone on this damn planet."

"We got to clear a path as quick as possible," Garrus added, "You could make your way forward and I could stay back and cover you."

Jane thought about it, her eyes falling to the ground. If that plan worked and she was able to punch through Garrus would be overwhelmed within minutes.

"No, I won't leave you behind! No one gets left behind!"

The words vibrated through her chest, shaking loose an old memory. Pain ripped through her as a familiar face flashed before her, his smile wide as he scratched at his blonde hair. She had yelled those words at him once. But she had left him behind in that old hanger, alone and ripped to pieces. She looked over at the turian in front of her. He was crouched low, his fringe exposed from cover. Jane could see that doubt in his eyes as he waited for her, his large hand slamming a new heat sink into his rifle. Akuze couldn't happen again.

"There are still enough vorcha over there to fill a bar in the Zakara Ward, plus we still have the kro…" Jane started before an explosion sent her to the ground, her arms going up to cover her head from any falling debris. A crackle rang out in her ear, a familiar voice following.

"Path is clear," Sticks said. She sat up, knocking the dirt off her head with one of her hands, before spotting her friend in his position at the top of the ravine. He gave her the turian equivalent of a thumbs up before throwing the grenade launcher onto his back.

"Always with the big explosions," Jane grunted as she got to her feet.

"There's nothing little about me Jane. I always go for the big bang," Sticks said, his voice cocky. Garrus let out a low groan. He didn't want to hear this shit.

"Well get your ass down here and form up. We're almost to the others."

"You got it," Sticks replied before the comm went silent.

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Kasumi huffed as she slammed the butt of her hand cannon against her thigh to drive the heat sink in. She felt weak and even though she had stopped the bleeding the pain from the wound was almost crippling. She stood, fired, and laughed loudly when a Batarian crashed to the ground. Kasumi knew that in her position with no shields she was in a large amount of danger. She needed to make it to Kaiden, but if she got tagged on the way over that would be it. Frustration shook her body as she wiped at her forehead with the back of her hand, the butt of her gun scraping lightly against her skin. A whirling sound drew her attention and when she looked behind her Legion was crouched there, his omni-tool scanning over her.

"Mild blood loss. Signs of shock are evident in your massive sweating and chills. Do you need us to administer first aid?" Legion asked, his panels flapping slightly as he waited for her to answer.

"I already administered first aid, but my shields are down."

"Census says we need to regroup with the others. We will be your shield."

"There's not enough cover for all of us there," Kasumi hissed in pain. "We stay here and wait. You and me, okay."

Legion was silent for a moment, his panels vibrating rapidly. The light in his head glowed bright for a moment before dimming.

"Friends stick together. We will not leave you."

Legion stood with precision, nailing each quarry with a deadly shot. His shield glowed blue as it took a bullet, the geth rocking back a small step. He fired another round before he crouched down beside her. He looked down at his gun before giving it a good smack. The heat sink jammed. A growl of frustration ripped from Kasumi's throat as she stood from cover. She screamed, squeezing off shot after shot before her gun clicked. She was empty. A cold hand gripped her wrist firmly before pulling her down behind the crate. Kasumi huffed, flinching as a bullet cracked against the crate.

"Your heart rate is elevated beyond normal stress level."

Kasumi sagged against the crate, the gun falling to the ground beside her. She didn't have the strength anymore. A frantic clicking noise came from Legion as he fussed over her, the glow from his omni-tool to bright for her eyes. She squeezed them shut, her breath rushing from her lips. Sounds were becoming muffled as her arms hung limply by her sides. Dammit it was too early in the game for her to go. A muffled explosion went off behind Kasumi, dirt raining down on her. All went silent before muffled voices filled the air and a warm hand fell on her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw a pair of gun powder grey eyes scanning over her. The woman was crouched beside her, worry evident on her bloody face. She was saying something, but Kasumi couldn't decipher the words. All she knew was that she had never been so happy to see another woman in her entire life.

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They had all been pushed back to the landing pad, taking cover behind supply crates and anything else that provided any ounce of cover. About two dozen C-Sec officers had made it along with the crew from the Normandy. The losses had been too many and as each moment passed the number was only climbing. Thane knew the only reason they had made it to the landing zone was because of Miranda and Jack's combined efforts to destroy those mechs. It had caused an amazing fire display and afforded them just enough time to get to the zone.

Five minutes.

Joker had said five minutes and then they would be off this damn place. Thane coughed as he squeezed off another round. He loaded another round, fired, and a human's head popped like a top. Kolyat was taking cover beside him, firing or round after round. His aim was impeccable. Thane knew he shouldn't have been proud of the fact, but he couldn't deny that warm feeling of pride that was forming in his failing chest cavity. Bailey was crouched thirty feet in front of them, Miranda squeezed up against him. She was only using biotics now, having run out of ammo. Jack and Grunt were hunkered down to Thane's left, covering a medic as he administered first aid. Jack had stolen a rifle and was shooting it wildly before diving back to cover. She looked behind her, one of her tattooed hands falling on the hurt shoulders arm reassuringly before gingerly taking his gun from his. She whirled and fired, a maniacal laugh ripping from her throat that could only be matched my Grunts war cry.

Four minutes.

"Thane," Kolyat said, grabbing the older drell's attention. Kolyat's eyes glowered out at him, that color of sunset that reminded Thane of his late wife. "Stay in the game!"

Thane almost wanted to laugh, but just nodded his head before he fired another round. Another officer went down in front of them. It was a clean shot through the throat. There was no saving him as he bled out on the gangway. Another cough shook his shoulders. Thane took a deep breath, taking aim through his scope. He squeezed the trigger and the Vorcha's head exploded like a melon. Screams of agony ripped through the air, gnawing at his very nerves.

Three minutes.

"You fuckers!"

Jack's screams filled the air, her petite body absorbing the fire of the heavy rifle as best she could. Thane grimaced before he slammed a new heat sink into his sniper rifle. Carnage was everywhere, a nightmare that stained the very surface of the gangway red. Fallen officers screamed out for help that they couldn't receive. Thane's muscle's strained to stay put. Heavy breathing beside him was what made him stay put. Kolyat was what was important. He had to get his son off this planet. Kolyat had to live life and succeed where Thane had failed.

Two minutes.

Miranda was panting as sweat tricked down her face and neck. She was trying to hide the fact that she was spent, but Thane could see it all the way from his position. The Cerberus agent reached out and yanked a gun from a dead man's hand. A bullet grazed her shoulder sending a small squirt of blood to her face. Bailey grabbed a grenade from his ammo pouch and chucked it. It rocked the gangway as it exploded, killing a small mass of human and alien alike.

"I'm out!" Kolyat exclaimed. "Shit, I'm out of ammo!"

"Just stay in cover. Joker will be here soon."

One minute.

Thane switched his sniper for his assault rifle, the barrel of the sniper burning through his leathers. He ignored the unpleasant heat as he switched it ammo to disruptor. The enemy's shields were hampering the killing process. A heavy wind broke across his back. He turned and saw the Normandy touching down. The loading door opened and Miranda's screams for retreat could barely be heard over all the chaos. Grunt grabbed the downed officer and threw him over his massive shoulder before heading for the ship. Jack and the medic offered suppressive fire as they followed. Officers scrambled for the Normandy laying down fire before they vaulted over crates. Miranda ran passed them, Bailey giving her cover fire. Thane stood and pulled Kolyat up with him. They ran for the ship. The pair turned and fired to give the stragglers a chance.

Bailey sagged to the ground, his gun flying from his hand. Before Thane had time to react Kolyat bolted for the fallen man. He paused only a moment to pick up a discarded pistol. Three steps away from Bailey. Two.

A bullet snapped Kolyat's head back. The back of his head exploded before his body fell limply to the ground.

"No!" Thane screamed as he started forward. A gruff hand grabbed him by the arm, stopping him. He looked back to see Grunt staring down at him. "I have to get him!"

"He's dead! They both are!"

"No! Let me go…Kolyat!"

Thane struggled against the Krogan as the door began to close. Thane went to take a swing, but was met with a fist to the jaw that knocked him against the hull. Miranda looked down at him, a look a pit barely breaking through her look of disgust. Grunt looked surprised as he looked on at the dark haired woman. She had gotten the hit in before he did.

"Joker get us out of here and get us to the commander," Miranda said into her comm piece.

"On it."

Miranda's hand fell to her side, her face splattered with blood and her shoulder screaming. Her face was dark as she looked down at the Drell on the ground. She cleared her throat before her eyes fell closed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered before turning and walking away.

Thane stayed leaning against the vibrating wall of the Normandy. The scene played over and over in his head making his heart constrict in his chest. He was robbed of his breath and his very reason for living.

000000000000000

They had made it to the top of the ravine with only one officer casualty. Garrus, Sticks, Kaiden and Legion were firing down into the ravine to keep the enemy at bay. Mordin was seeing to Kasumi, trying to fight off any further shock and Jane was looking to the sky. She had tried to get word from Joker, but all she had gotten was static. If he had been shot down this whole thing was over. Panic was fighting against her, bile rising in her throat as she tried to keep her cool. She couldn't lose her cool now. A dark object in the distance caught her attention and as it raced toward them.

"Is that you down there commander?" Joker's voice questioned over the comm. Jane couldn't keep herself from smiling.

"I'm sure glad to see you Jeff. Now get us the fuck out of here."

"Roger that."

Jane yelled for everyone to form up, dust kicking up around them as Joker set his ship down. They scrambled aboard, Jane the last one on. The door hissed shut behind her and she bolted for the medical bay. C-Sec officers were sitting around the mess drinking anything that was offered to them. Makeshift cots were taking up space to the far right, underneath the medical bay's massive window. Jane could see Mordin walking in to assist Dr. Chakwas.

When Jane entered the amount of wounded crammed into the small bay was staggering. Kasumi was lying down on a far cot with Mordin fussing over her and Dr. Chakwas was stitching up a graze wound on Miranda's shoulder.

"I need a status report," Jane said as she came to a stop in front of Miranda.

Miranda huffed, her blue eyes looking away from Jane.

"Most of the C-Sec officers are dead. Only sixty five, seventy tops made it off."

"What about the team?"

"All accounted for," Miranda answered.

Jane let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging slightly.

"Bailey and Kolyat didn't make it."

Jane froze, her eyes locked on the Cerberus officer. Her heart squeezed in her chest at the news, Bailey's laugh echoing in her head. She shook it violently before she scratched at the back of her neck. Her mind went to the Drell who was more than likely holed up in his part of the ship. To lose a kid…she couldn't even bring herself to imagine what that was like.

"Right," Jane muttered. "Joker set a course for the Citadel. We need to get these boys home."

"You got it Jane," Joker replied.

Jane's hand dropped from her comm piece, her grey eyes taking one final glance at the officer before turning and leaving the medical bay. When she got to the elevator her gaze shifted to the life support room. The death of a loved one was never easy or simple and the pain never went away, no matter how much you willed it to.

Her head dropped in sympathy before she boarded the elevator.


	20. Chapter 20

_Jane could see the tower in the distance, a beacon of hope spiking from the chaos. She slammed on the gas, the Jeep whining out as it was pushed to its very limits. A line of dust started toward her before the ground erupted. She spun the wheel to the right trying desperately to dodge the Thresher Maw as it burst from the ground. The Jeep groaned, the noise lost in the roar of the Maw. It swung its massive body, crashing into the side of the Jeep. Jane tried to correct it, but her grip ripped from the wheel as it rocked on its side. The machine crashed to the ground, throwing Jane from the vehicle. Pain ripped through her back and head as she collided with the side of the nearest building. Her sight blurred. She blindly searched for the gun at her hip. She yanked the pistol free. A scream barely was heard over the ringing in her head. _

_The Thresher Maw was tearing at the downed Jeep thirty feet away from her, scraps of metal flying everywhere. It would be only moments before the monster would see her and kill her. Holding the gun in front of her, she stood then cleared the wall before she started to back pedal. Jane made it a few steps before her heels connected with something hard, her shaky legs unable to keep her standing. She fell backwards, her back knocking against a flight of stairs. Her breath rushed from her lungs at the impact. Jane grunted as she sat up, breathing deeply through her nose. Pointing her pistol once again her eyes landed on a pair of blue discs lying on the ground next to the jeep…under the Thresher Maw. _

_Grenades._

_Jane fired rapidly, drawing the Maw's attention. The Maw begun it's retreat back underground. If it made it underground it would be making a b-line tunnel in a straight direction, straight towards Jane. There was nothing left for here to do but point and shoot. She just needed one shot to connect and…_

_There it was._

_The explosion ripped through the air, the Maw ripping in two. Jane covered her face with her arms before a sharp pain to her left thigh. Jane grunted, her eyes falling to the wound. A sharp piece of glass had ripped right through her armor and impaled her flesh. With shaky hands she grabbed the offending glass and ripped it from her flesh with a cry. Throwing the glass to the side Jane picked up her gun and got to her feet, stumbling down the stairs and back into the street. Pieces of jeep and Thresher Maw were scattered everywhere, but the only thing her grey eyes could see was the beacon tower in the distance. It was two, maybe three blocks away. There were more Maws around and they would sniff her out soon if she didn't get moving. Jane made a break for it, pain ripping through her body with every stride she made on her bad leg. Her breaths were ragged as she ran, the pain and fear the only thing that was keeping her broken body upright._

_It was there, she could see the entrance._

_The Earth rumbled beneath her, sending her into a sheer panic. She burst through the front doors of the tower just as another Thresher Maw broke through the streets surface. Jane scrambled for the stairs and began to climb, her free hand having a death grip on the railing. Six flights and Jane could finally see the door to the beacon, her last hope. Grabbing the handle she found it locked. Lazily she raised her gun and unloaded her gun into it. With as much strength as she could muster she rammed the door with her shoulder and popped it open. Jane stumbled toward the control panel, seeing the button for the beacon under a glass box. She didn't think for a second as she brought the butt of her gun down on the box, activating the beacon in the process. Jane fell to the floor, her back against the control panel side for support. Her leg was bleeding badly and if she didn't stop it the rescue crew wouldn't find anyone alive. She pulled the spent sink from her pistol before pushing a fresh one in. She fired until it clicked empty. Jane discharged the glowing heat sink and let it drop into her hand before pressing the hot metal to her wound. She screamed in agony before she dropped the heat sink, strength no longer in her grasp. Her arms hanging limply at her sides, Jane's breathing slowed and a tear tickled her dirty cheek._

"_Johnny," Jane whispered into the silence, "I'm scared."_

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Jane let out a sigh, the back of her left hand coming up to rest on her forehead. Another dream, another reminder of the thing she couldn't seem to shake…failure. Her grey eyes lazily looked up at the ceiling, the hiss of the trash evacuating filling the silence. The attack on Virmire had been a costly surprise, one that she knew the council would never take the blame for. There should have been troops there, real ones that would have put up a better fight. Jane had been stationed with C-sec before this mission, a demotion because of bad behavior. C-sec wasn't the type of operation that was trained for that type of situation, especially at that kind of scale. The whole thing had cost them too many lives.

Bailey… she was going to miss him and his shitty coffee.

Kolyat was another one that was going to sting. She had just told Thane that his only child was one of the good things he had contributed to this vast darkness they all lived in and it had been violently ripped away from him. His shining beacon in the darkness was gone. Jane knew all too well the gaping hole it left in ones chest. Jane's cheek had a quick spasm, sending a sharp pain to her eye. That damn piece of rock had been deep, requiring five stitches.

Another scar, another brand of failure. Typical.

Coming to the conclusion that sleep was going to evade her for the rest of the night, Jane rose from her bed and made her way into the hall and to the elevator. There were so many questions about the whole ordeal. How the hell did they know about the Prothean artifact and who the hell was it that attacked them? Kaiden had informed her about them being after the artifact and Jane had her suspicions on who it was, but she wanted to be wrong. They didn't need that kind of trouble on top of everything else. The elevator let out a mute ding as it came to a stop on the third deck. Jane made her way to the mess hall tables, surprised at the fact that they were scarcely occupied. C-sec officers were sitting back to back on the floor, using each other as support as they slept. They were bruised, scared and tired, but alive and that was what mattered at the moment. One of the tables had officers using its surface as a pillow, but the one furthest from the medical bay only had two weary occupants. Garrus was sitting with his back to her, his attention on a small glow in front of him that she could only conclude was a holo video. He was still in his armor and his shoulders were slumped forward heavily, his large head listing to the side slightly as if he was trying to hide the scarring on his face and neck.

Facing her on the other side was a blonde haired, blue eyed C-sec medic, his red cross over his right breast pocket sticking out against the navy blue of the uniform. He needed a shower, which was evident by the dirt on his neck that he missed. Dark circles had formed under his hair and the dull look in his baby blues gave away the fact that he had probably never seen so much carnage in his life. It wasn't something anyone should have to experience.

Jane made her way toward them, sitting soundlessly across the table from the medic. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Garrus quickly snap the holovid off before it disappeared. She scratched at the back of her neck nervously, the medic's gaze still on the surface of the table. Jane cleared her throat loudly, startling the boy from his trance.

"Sorry sir," the kid said, snapping to attention in his chair. Jane chuckled as she held out her hand in protest.

"Just call me Jane. I don't like the formalities."

"Sorry…Jane." He mumbled the last part as if ashamed to talk to her so casually.

"Was that your first time in a situation like that?" Jane asked, one of her hands drumming her fingers lightly against the table top. Her other arm was clutching her left leg to her chest, showing Garrus a good amount of her thigh if he cared to look. He did.

The kid was quiet for a moment, his gaze dropping to the table, looking back and forth rapidly as if he was going to find the answer on its shiny surface.

"Yes," he said quietly, "I've never seen so many people…"

"Die?"

"Yeah."

"You know I remember the first time I saw a bunch of people die. I was ten," Jane started. The kids blue eyes were now fixed on her, along with Garrus. She wasn't really sure if she wanted to continue, but the look in the medics eyes… it was a look of complete sadness and loss.

Garrus was silent as he looked over at Jane, all thought of the holo he had been looking at forgotten. Her cheek was inflamed from the fight earlier that day, the stitches barely visible through the irritated flesh. It wouldn't be the first tale of woe about witnessing death at a young age, but the fact that it was a glimpse into the dead friends past, even if small, had his full attention. Shepard never talked about his past, about earth, and hearing this would help him understand the person that was leading him into the biggest shit storm ever…at least he hoped it would.

"Ten?" the medic asked. He was leaning closer to the commander now, his arms resting on the table that separated them.

"Yeah. I grew up on Earth with my brother, two of the many orphans that roamed the streets. Anyway, in order to survive you join a gang with the other orphan kids so that's what we did. At the end of the week the local branch of the military would give out rations and I was the one they always sent… the cute little girl with the big eyes got them every time and I usually walked away with more than the others…"

Jane paused, her gaze drifting to Garrus. He wanted to ask her what the hell she was talking about. Never had he heard of the military giving handouts. Earth military was the Alliance and the Alliance didn't give handouts. She was lying to him in an attempt to make the medic feel better, a very human thing that Garrus didn't understand.

"That day…It wasn't the military like usual, but some mercenaries. They had rounded us all up and took us out of the city. They started shooting everyone, getting rid of some of the social problem. I got shot in the arm and hid under the dead bodies. A Turian found me and took me back to the city…he saved me."

Garrus was quiet for a moment, trying to decipher what part of the story was real and what was fabricated. The medic seemed to believe it all, falling back in his chair and sighing loudly. A strange sense of relief seemed to wash over him. Garrus frowned to himself, his mandibles flaring slightly indignation. It seemed wrong for her to lie, to give that false comfort to someone who so obviously needed it. He started, turning toward the commander, when the calm voice of the medic stopped him.

"Thanks," the medic said, "It's nice to know that I'm not alone…I mean I know people have experienced it, but to hear it helps."

Jane smiled weakly back at the medic, a flush of pink coming to her neck. She shifted in her seat, swallowing before answering.

"What's your name?" Her voice was soft, something Garrus had never heard from the female Shepard. She had been crass, aggressive and downright insulting, but never gentle. Garrus looked away from the anomaly beside him and down at the holovid clutched in his hand. He had found it sitting on the main battery console before coming out to the mess. Garrus had no idea how it had gotten there, but the contents were…

"George Marshall."

The medic's sharp voice ripped the Turian from his musings and back to the scene going on beside him. The commander's mouth twitched slightly, her grey eyes looking forlorn before they were taken over by that steely hardness he was used to.

"You did a good job today, saved lives. Always remember that," Jane said as she looked across at him, "Gerogie."

The boy smirked at the nickname, his head nodding in acknowledgment as Jane stood swiftly from her chair, not giving any of them a glance before she left them. Garrus watched her for a moment, not able to pull his dark eyes away from her. When she passed from view he stood and followed. She had not looked to steady on her feet. When he rounded the elevator shaft he froze. Jane was standing just outside Thane's door, her gaze straight ahead. Fists were formed at her sides as she continued to stand still and stare. As if she had found her courage one of her clenched hands rose toward the door, stalling just before it made contact with the metal surface. Her hand began to tremble the longer it stayed, Jane's head falling forward against her chest. She heaved a sigh before finally letting her hand fall back to her side. She started toward him, halting for only a moment when she saw him.

He felt a pang of guilt pierce his chest at the look on her face, the harness she had in her eyes back at the table something that didn't seem to have ever existed in that blip of a moment when their eyes met. Jane continued, her steady hand jutting out and pressing the elevator button harshly. Garrus felt trapped, unable to move from his spot just a few feet away from him. The guilt for spying, for seeing her at a weak moment, bothered him. Jane was silent as she waited for the elevator, her jaw clenching as she tried to hold in her words and the ridiculous sting in her eyes.

"I fucked up," Jane whispered, the words almost lost in the sound of the elevator arriving on their floor. Garrus stumbled to say something, anything, but before he could utter a word the elevators had closed behind her and she was gone.

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Everything had gone to shit on Virmire. He had gotten that feeling the minute he had set foot on the sand, but it wasn't his place to say anything. All Sticks wanted was to be there to save Jane's ass when she needed it and he knew eventually she would. His purple gaze was scanning the personal computer in front of him, something that had been left by the previous commander of the ship. It still had all his old files and emails on it, something he had wanted to look at, but couldn't crack the firewall that had been set up. Personal computers weren't really his thing, but vehicles, no matter their size, was something he was good at. The Normandy for example was prime Turian engineering, with minor human details and tweaks. It had a hum to it though, as if it was hissing in pain from a past wound it had suffered. Or maybe it was a ghost from the past that couldn't let the girl go. Sticks did know that it was comforting, the hum putting him to sleep on many occasions.

Giving up on the computer, Sticks pushed himself away from the desk, the chair coming to a halt a few feet back. The glass case was full of miniature ships, the fish tank was empty and the desk was pretty sparse in decoration, just the computer, a stack of holos and a picture of John Shepard and Jack. Jane looked so much like her brother. They had the same hair color and the same eyes, hell they even smirked the same way. But the carefree attitude the emanated from the man in the picture seemed to be absent from the late commanders younger sister. What had happened between them that made Jane bristle at the very mention of John's name? Why didn't John have any evidence that he did, in fact, have a sister? His questions retreated to the back of his mind at the noise of his door opening.

Sticks looked over his shoulder, his eyes landing on a defeated looking Jane. She spared him a quick glance before she walked past him and down the few steps toward the bed. She pitched forward and landed face first on the mattress, not bothering to move an inch to breathe. The Turian rose from the chair and made his way to his friend, sitting down on the bed beside her. Her head turned in his direction, Jane's eyes puffy and swollen from tears the woman refused to shed.

"I fucked up big time didn't I?" Jane asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"You couldn't have known that it was going to happen. No one could have known."

"I still should have been prepared. People would still be alive if it wasn't for that mistake. Fuck, I'm so stupid."

"Jane," Sticks grumbled as he reached over and pulled her into a sitting position, making her look at him. "You're not stupid. It was an ambush and you wouldn't have been able to stop it. People are alive because of you. Kaiden, Mordin, Legion, Kasumi…they are alive because of you. You can think fast and that's what saved so many people today. Stop being so fucking hard on yourself Jane, besides the council should have sent soldiers to get that place running, not C-Sec. C-Sec isn't trained to handle that kind of situation."

Jane looked at him for a moment, biting into her bottom lip in anger. The scar that ran from her lip and half way down her chin reddened at the contact, making it more noticeable. In all honesty that small scar was the one that Sticks hated the most. It was more of a marking than a scar… a marking that had been given in a moment of passion. And the fact that it was given to her by a famous turian made Sticks feel inadequate. She had told him the story once, of her deceased lover, and it was a story Sticks didn't like to remember.

"I plan on bringing that fact up when I meet with the council," Jane grumbled, "That and other things."

The Turian let out a curt laugh, the woman's eyes cutting back to him. One of his hands came up and landed on her head reassuringly before giving her the turian equivalent of a smirk. That fire was back in her eye, even if it was a small flicker of the bigger flame.


	21. Chapter 21

Anderson fidgeted in his position in his office. He had been on edge ever since Jane had arrived, the unmistakable look in her eye that told him that she was out to cause some trouble. With what had happened on Virmire and the meeting with the council today it was all too easy for the older man to know what she was going to do. She had Miranda and Kaiden with her, and he knew without a doubt that Sticks was out in the hallway waiting for her. Those two had been inseparable since Jane had brought him back to the citadel with her. He was glad for it though. If it wasn't for that turian Jane would be in a much darker place than she already was.

Flickering bodies registered in his peripheral view and he quickly made his way over to address the other council members before Jane opened her mouth. It was better to start the meeting off with politeness before Jane let loose on them.

"Councilors," Anderson said as he stepped forward, taking a spot next to Jane. The girls jaw clenched, but she remained silent.

"The news of Virmire is…" The Asari councilor started, her eyes glued to Anderson as she spoke, "tragic."

Jane scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Is there something you want to say Commander?" The turian councilor asked. Jane's grey eyes cut to him. Unable to stop herself she took a step forward, shrugging Kaiden's hand off when he tried to stop her.

"It was more than tragic, it was a fucking massacre that could have been avoided. Virmire was the perfect place to set up a line of defense. You knew that in sending them there, but instead of sending soldiers you sent security guards!"

"There was no sign that there would have been an attack. It wasn't logical to send out soldiers…" The Asari started but was cut short by Jane's raging voice.

"It wasn't a random attack. It was planned and coordinated by somebody and they were after the Prothean artifact. If they knew it was there, then you sure as hell did to. You weren't trying to set up a defense, you wanted the artifact! You should have been straight with me from the beginning!"

"Don't question the decision of the council girl!" The Turian yelled in frustration, his arm making a cutting motion through the air.

"I question when I see a bad decision and that's what this was. Those people died because of your stupid decision! They followed your orders and got killed because you were too stubborn to send soldiers who would be able to handle that type of situation! Following the council….when's the last time any of you have left your castles? When's the last time you fought by the soldiers that risked their lives for you or heard a comrade scream out for his mother while he dies?"

"Jane," Anderson started, but his warning tone went unnoticed.

"I'm starting to think that my brother made a mistake in saving the three of you," Jane finished, a deadly silence falling over the room after her last words.

"Your bold mouth is only going to get you in trouble Jane Shepard," the Salarian councilor said, his voice toneless as he looked out at the girl with his large black eyes. "Mistakes were made on both ends and I will forgive your outburst this one time, but if you can't hold your tongue next time you will be stripped of your status and discharged from the military. Do I make myself clear?"

Jane looked up at him, her eyes hard and narrow. She didn't utter a word, just nodded her head in understanding.

"Then we'll leave the rest to you Anderson," The Salarian finished before all three figures flickered out of sight.

Jane sent a sharp look toward Anderson, her eyes a pool of emotions that he didn't want to read. She was angry that was evident to everyone in the room, but the deep sorrow that was buried underneath all the anger was almost suffocating as she continued to look at him. Anderson had seen it before with the loss of Georgie and John and…something inside of her had broke when he died, her already fragile relationship with her brother crumbling after the incident.

"Jane," Anderson started, but she just held up a hand as her gaze fell from him.

"Kaiden and Miranda can give you the rest of the details. I'm going to go get a fucking drink," Jane said before she turned away from the three and disappeared out in the hallway. Miranda let out an exasperated sigh as she spared a glance at Kaiden who still had his eyes on the door. The Cerberus operative hadn't been expecting an outburst like that from the Commander, especially one so blatantly disrespectful and borderline threatening. The girl did have her outbursts, but this one took the cake and Miranda had to admit that the girl had some major balls.

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Kaiden walked aimlessly down one of the many streets inside the Citadel. The man had seen and heard a lot in his days in the Alliance, but he had never seen someone stand up to the Alliance council. He couldn't make up his mind if she was extremely brave or extremely stupid. What he did know was the fact that he was impressed by it, his respect for her soaring at that moment. Then she had left him and Miranda to do her work so she could get a drink and that respect came crashing down. Jane was always doing that, doing something to earn his respect only to turn around and do something that had him up in arms and cursing her very name.

"Don't think too hard, that implant in your brain might explode," A smoky voice spoke from the shadows.

Kaiden turned in the direction of the voice, his eyes falling on the petite thief from their motley crew. The girl had been like a shadow since he had stepped foot on the Normandy. Kaiden didn't mind and actually enjoyed her company, often talking to her even when she didn't reveal herself. It had gotten him some strange looks from other crew member, but the looks only prompted soft giggles from the girl hiding in the shadows. Not that he would tell anyone, but it was those giggles that he liked the most. Kaiden could always feel her presence and though she hadn't been told to follow them to the meeting she had anyway, just as Sticks had done.

"I didn't realize…how long have you been there?" Kaiden inquired.

"Only a few moments. I left the meeting after Jane left. We went to the bar, had a few drinks," Kasumi said, waving a small hand nonchalantly. She watched him for a moment when he failed to respond. "She's not as horrible as you think."

Kaiden's gaze cut to her, his dark eyes narrowing at the girls words.

"How do you know what I feel?"

"You're like an open book Kaiden. Anyone could read you if they bothered to try. Alliance soldier to the core, you are. She's different, harder than John ever was, and that's what is needed. Trust her," Kasumi said, one of her hands falling gently on his broad shoulder.

"How can I trust her when she does and says things that constantly compromise the mission? Shepard always had the crew and the objective at the forefront of his mind."

"What and she doesn't because she drinks?" Kasumi asked. "People cope in different ways Kaiden. There's nothing wrong in that. And how can you say that she doesn't care about the crew? She came back for us and saved us on the damned planet when it would have been better just to leave us there."

"She needed the beacon, that's the only reason," Kaiden grumbled.

"Bullshit Kaiden. She came for us. Not once did she ask for the beacon after she cleared us from that cave, saving all of us. If she didn't care why would she buy new armor for Garrus when he had been nothing, but rude to her? Why would she include Joker in everything her brother didn't? Why would she worry about Thane and his illness and refuse to let anyone fight in the tournament on Omega when she could have easily died? And why would she patch up Legion, a geth, with her bare hands if she didn't care about us?"

"How do you know all this?" Kaiden asked, one of his dark brows arching as his eyes grew wide.

"You're not the only one I watch. There's something there, something she possesses that not even her brother had, but you're being too stubborn to see it. Open your eyes and look at the bigger picture Kaiden. The universe isn't this black and white picture you have in your head!"

"You don't know anything about me!" Kaiden snapped. The girl reared back a step, her eyes narrowing in anger, an emotion she barely showed.

"I guess I don't. I came to find you to see if you wanted to join everyone at the Dark Star for drinks. Jane wanted everyone to loosen up before we headed out tomorrow so she was buying, but I guess you don't," She replied, her voice low and disappointed. "See you later Alenko."

At that she walked off, Kaiden's guilt-ridden eyes watching her until she disappeared into the shadows. Since he had met her Kasumi had never called him by his last name and he didn't like it.

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Jane sat alone at the bar, her grey eyes looking down at the full drink in front of her. She could hear the loud laughs of Grunt and the filthy words from Jack as she told him a joke. Her gaze shifted over to the table, a small smile playing at her dry lips as she took them in. Grunt was smacking the table harshly as Jack continued, a bored looking Miranda sitting by them. Garrus and Sticks were sending unfriendly glances at each other from across the table, Legion questioning their behavior as his face plates flared in wonder. Grunt gave Garrus a hard slap on the back and the turian tipped forward, knocking his drink over and spilling it across the table. She looked away then, her mind wondering back to things she rather not think about.

If they were ever going to have a chance to beat the Reapers she was going to have to start building up the army. The mercenary idea hadn't panned out as well as she had hoped, only swaying Eclipse, Omega and some freelancers to her side. The support of Aria was a huge help, but she knew the Blood Pack would cause a problem, especially when she tried to get the Krogan's to help.

Tuchanka…now there was a place she never wanted to visit again.

Flashes of reddish-brown hair passed her vision and she quickly shook her head, her eyes squeezing shut. Regret built up fast, a tight ball forming in her chest as she quickly pounded her drink and slammed the empty glass back down on the bar top. Old memories, they were like lies to her now, unforgettable ones.

"Um, excuse me Ma'am?" A deep voice asked.

Jane looked to her right, her gaze falling on the speaker. He was tall, not uncommon for a male Quarian. He was better built, as if he had been trained for combat instead of working on the ships in their fleet. His envirosuit was red and grey with beige fabric, the blue tint of his helmet obscuring his face.

"Are you Jane Shepard?"

"Yeah, why?" She inquired.

"My names Kal'Reegar and I have a proposition for you."

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Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update! I didn't even realize. I don't plan on that ever happening again and I hope you still read it. I lost inspiration there for a bit, but its back now. I hope you guys are still enjoying it and thanks!


	22. Chapter 22

Jane eyed him warily. How had the Quarian even heard about her? The only one of his kind that Jane had read about in her brother's reports was Tali Zorah vas Neema and she had died back on that collector base with Johnny.

"A proposition? What is it that you have to offer me?" Jane asked, her brow raising as she watched him sit down on the empty stool next to her.

"The coordinates and code to get in touch with the Migrant Fleet," Kal' Reeger said, his voice unwavering. When she stayed silent the Quarian continued. "I've been tracking you for months, but was always too late. On Omega I got a hot tip that you and the crew were on your way to the Citadel."

"A hot tip, huh? How does a Quarian Marine have that kind of connection?"

He cleared his throat, a sign that he was hesitating to answer. The whole damn thing was suspicious, but she did need what he was offering. Then again the security risks were enormous. If Kal'Reegar was linked to the quarian she had run into on Omega, and Jane agreed to whatever it was he wanted, the Shade could possibly have a direct line to her and the Alliance itself.

"I was a friend of Tali's and fought with your brother on Haestrom. When I found out about Tali I left the fleet in search of John, only to find out that he was killed and his sister had taken over his mission.

Jane paused, her drink stopping inches from her lips. Another one of her brother's acquaintances. He sure had put his hand everywhere, making allies where she had least expected it.

"How do I know you're telling the truth? John was known by everybody. How do I know you're not the enemy?"

"Do I look like the enemy?" He asked defensively. It was obvious that he had been offended. She sighed. No matter the species, men's pride was always easily wounded.

"You'd be surprised," Jane answered, thinking of the quarian back on Omega, the one working for the Shade.

"Garrus Vakarian could vouch for me. We fought the Geth on Haestrom and out of the surviving crew he knew Tali the longest."

Jane frowned before she turned to the table with the members of her crew. There was no longer friendly laughter going on, but somber faces.

"Garrus!" Jane yelled, waving him over. His mandibles flared in irritation before he got up and made his way over to them, a spark of recognition flashing in his eyes at the sight of the quarian.

"Kal' Reegar? What the hell are you doing here?" Garrus asked, his voice full of friendly surprise.

"He has a proposition for me, which I haven't heard what it is he wants out of it yet?" Jane answered, her attention on the quarian again.

"I give you the information you need and you let me join your crew. I have as much a reason to want to kill those bastards as the rest of you."

When she went to object the quarian quickly continued.

"Without the proper pass code you would never be allowed to get into the fleet and without me you won't ever find it."

"He's right Jane," Garrus added. "We never would have found it without Tali. Besides, he can handle himself."

Jane sighed, her eyes scanning back and forth between the two. Jane knew that this was an opportunity landing straight in her lap that she couldn't pass up. If she didn't take his request Jane might never get the chance like it again.

"Fine, but remember I'm the one calling the shots. If you're told to do something, do it. I won't have any heroics on my ship either, that shit just gets people killed. There's a Geth on my team so if you cause any trouble with him I won't think twice before I space you."

"Yes ma'am," Reegar retorted as he stood from his barstool.

"Meet with Miranda, she'll get you situated. She's the one with the skintight onesie," Jane said, pointing lazily to the table.

"Ma'am," He said again before excusing himself and walking towards the Cerberus operative.

"I hope you're right about this Garrus because if you're not I'm holding you responsible."

Garrus didn't respond, he didn't feel the need. Tali had once trusted Kal'Reegar with her life, which to him, meant he could as well.

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Joker sat lazily in his pilot's chair, his eyes scanning over the images playing in front of him. He had gotten the video from the attack on Virmire, something EDI had _retrieved_ for him. The sound of muffled voices filled the cockpit as the remaining crew stumbled back on board. They had tried to get him to come along, but loud drunken people really weren't his thing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jane lean against his chair, her arm resting on its high back.

"What's this?" She asked, her eyes scanning the video rapidly.

"It's the video from Virmire."

"Really?" How did you get it?" Jane asked, her voice full of interest.

"EDI. She's good at…um…retrieving things."

"Well," Jane said with a laugh, "Good work."

"Doing what I can to help Jane," EDI's voice responded, echoing through the cockpit.

They fell silent as they continued to watch, carnage and explosions filling most of the video. It had been horrible, worse than she had ever imagined it. Jane's fight had been hard enough, but this…watching her crew struggle as they held their ground, the C-sec officers getting mowed down like mere recruits, it was like something out of a fucking nightmare. As the explosions stopped and the gangway fell into silence a small craft landed, pushing the smoke from view.

Jane watched inventively as the hatch to the vessel opened, two blood pack mercenaries jumping out and landing on the remains of their brethren. They kicked away the dead carelessly, a spike of anger coursing through Jane at the sight. Then a third body appeared from the shadows of the hatch. It was a much smaller figure, wearing a helmet and guns at their side. Jane stiffened when the person came into a clearer view. It wasn't a person at all, but a quarian…a female quarian. Her jaw twitched in anger as she watched the girl give orders. It was Kalii, which meant Jane's worst fear had been correct. The Shade was involved. What she needed to figure out now was how.


	23. Chapter 23

_Her head felt like it was full of cotton as a muffled voice slowly woke Jane from her slumber, her eyelids insanely heavy. The voice sounded panicked as it called out to her, her name the only word she could distinguish out of all the rambling. Jane tried to sit forward, her eyes half lidded. She just couldn't find the strength to open them all the way. She was pushed back suddenly, memories from earlier flooding through the fog and quickly sending her into a panic. Jane's hand scrambled for her pistol, eyes snapping open only to see a fuzzy haze. At first it was just disassernable shapes that all seemed threatening to her person. _

"_Jane," A sharp voice said, cutting through her panic as a clawed hand grabbed her searching wrist. Jane tried to pull free, but his gentle grip just grew tighter. "Jane, it's me."_

_Her head jumped forward, the little energy she had fleeting from her muscles as the face in front of her finally came into focus…dark reddish-brown skin with white markings and concerned blue eyes. She knew that face, she loved that face._

"_Ni…" she started, but didn't have the strength to finish. His gravelly voice cut through the air, calming her._

"_It's okay Jane," he said, "I'll keep you safe."_

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Eyes fluttering open, Jane let out a heavy breath. Unshed tears stung at her eyes, the feeling of loss weighing heavily on her chest. Reaching up, she gingerly ran the tips of her fingers along the scar that went from her bottom lip to chin. It was a reminder of him, a painful one, and all of the good times they had gotten to spend together. A red light flashed at the intercom beside her personal computer, on the rickety desk across the room.

Throwing her feet off the cot, Jane made her way over to the incessant blinking light. Pressing down on the receive button, she answered, her voice still with sleep.

"What is it?"

A gravelly, throaty voice answered, finally bringing her out from her groggy daze. It was Garrus.

"I need to speak with you about something." Her eyes glanced towards the clock. It read 3:45am.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Never thought time mattered much in space. Plus, like me, you don't sleep much."

Jane was silent for a moment, the sound of the garbage shoot releasing the only noise that filled the room.

"I'll be right there," She replied before letting go of the intercom button. It must have been important if it was Garrus, of all people, paging her at this hour.

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Jane hadn't spent much time in the main battery, Mostly because it seemed to be Garrus' self-proclaimed territory and secondly because she didn't know a lick about Turian machinery. Sure, she knew the very basics that were taught to her at the academy in case of an emergency, but it had been her least favorite class. When it came to mechanics she was more knowledgeable at the robotics end of the spectrum than the engineering. On top of that, Turian engineering was some of the most complex in the galaxy. Her pace slowed to a halt just outside the battery doors. They suddenly seemed menacing in their silver steel appearance. Jane hadn't had much alone time with Garrus, both of them avoiding it. Garrus had made it known that he didn't care for her much and trusted her even less back in the garage on the Citadel. And still, after Omega and Virmire, she wasn't sure where she stood with him. Giving him space seemed like the smartest option.

She couldn't make herself go any further, Jane's legs protesting the very thought of moving. Before she could decide to man up or flee the door slid open, Garrus walking out. He stopped abruptly to avoid colliding with her, the look of shock on his face mirroring her own. His mandibles flared in slight irritation before he cleared his throat.

"I thought you weren't coming," he said.

"I just got here. I met some trouble on the way," Jane quickly lied, Garrus catching on immediately.

"Yeah, there's nothing more dangerous than the halls of the Normandy."

His voice dripped with sarcasm, something Jane could barely take at this kind of hour. Shaking off his comment, something Jane had come quite accustomed to doing, she went about getting to their business.

"You said you had something to tell me."

Garrus was in motion then, gesturing for her to follow him into the main battery. It was duller that she had imagined it, the safety rail and single control panel seemed to be the main feature of the room. She had pictured it being more like the engine room, with its pulsating lights that signaled the beating heart of the ship. But no, it was muted and uninspiring, a small step up from the A.I. room. Then Jane couldn't help but wonder how Garrus didn't lose his damn mind being in there all the time…well, maybe he had and she just hadn't realized it yet.

"The Turian shielding took a lot of bad hits back on Virmire and needs some repair work," Garrus explained as his clawedhand flew over the keypad of the work station. A blue schematic popped up over the station, a perfect replica of the Normandy. It was then followed by a yellow cloak-like schematic showing the shields, red indicating the most troubled areas and breaches in their defenses. He was explaining it all to her in a way she could understand, but showing his expertise in the technology at the same time. Jane was impressed and thankful for it.

Jane observed him for another moment, her mind wandering as he continued. He was confident in the way he presented himself, common for Turians, but Garrus gave off the air that he knew he was good at what he did. But, he was also humble about it, never mentioning any of his skills. He was wearing the armor she had bought him, his personal Archangel symbol having made its way onto the shoulder plating. He reminded her of one of those gunslingers from old Earth holovids she had seen as a child. A vigilante to the core, never one of the Alliance dogs that he had once been pegged to be. No, he didn't have it in him.

Jane's eyes traveled up and down his stature slowly as he pointed out more details of the shielding damage, but the tech talk had been tuned out a few moments ago. He was a fine specimen of a Turian. Built well, strong, smart and…what the hell was she thinking?

"Jane," His voice rang out, making her gaze snap back to his face where he looked at her irritably.

"Sorry what?" She asked, looking a bit sheepish as she tried to hide what she had been doing. It was clear he wasn't fooled.

"We need to get materials to make the repairs as soon as possible."

Jane mulled over it for a moment, her eyes back on the schematic. He was right, they needed to fix the problem as soon as possible. The ship wouldn't stay together if they came under attack. Garrus was watching her, waiting for her to answer him, but the intensity of his gaze…it was if he wanted to talk to her about something else. The last time she had talked to the Turian was when he caught her by the life support room in her failed attempt to confront Thane about the loss of his son. She had shown weakness then, something she rarely showed to anyone. Did he want to tell her that she wasn't fit for duty? That she was unfit to take up the mission that Johnny, her brother and his best friend, had died for?

"Jane?" Garrus asked, his voice making her jump slightly.

"Do we have the materials needed for the repairs?" She asked as she scratched at the back of her neck lightly before rotating it to loosen it up a bit. She had taken a concussive round in the gorge back on Virmire that had shaken the teeth in her mouth and senther right to her ass. If it hadn't been for Garrus, Jane would have had a lot more than a stiff neck to worry about.

"Were short on Palladium," Garrus answered as he rubbed at his forehead.

"EDI," Jane called out, a blue orb popping up over a small disc by the entrance of the room.

"Yes Jane?" EDI asked.

"Where's the nearest planet that's rich in Palladium?"

"Were floating just out of orbit of one now Jane."

Jane couldn't help the small smile that came to her face. Luck, they were in dire need of that.

"Good," she said, looking back to Garrus. "Let's go probing."

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"Sending probe," Garrus said quietly, his hand pressing down on the button for the fifth time.

They had been at it for a few hours, going to the bridge to join Joker and EDI. Joker had fallen asleep in his chair an hour prior and EDI was keeping the Normandy in a steady orbit around the planet. It was a small thing, but beyond rich with what they needed. They were seated next to each other in control seats surrounding the main pilot chair, the orange glow of the schematics washing over their faces. Jane's mind had drifted away from the probes and the shields, away from the heartbreaking nightmare that had awoken her from the little sleep that she had gotten. It was back on Virmire, the loss of life, the bad call she had made to send the Normandy so far away and the Quarian…Kalli.

She was an agent of The Shade, the female making that known back on Omega. She had also revealed the identity of The Shade in that one name she had so carelessly called her…KK. Only one person had called her that and that was Mahogany. He had come up with it after the campaign to Tuchanka. It had two meanings; Krogan Killer and another one that she couldn't bare to think about.

They had been sent out to find a group of fertile females, but instead of finding the adults they had found a nest filled with three baby Krogan that couldn't have been but a year old. Her, Mahogany and Georgie had stumbled upon them and had been quickly ordered to dispose of them. Jane could still hear the boys' protests and the slight shake of their guns. She could taste the stale air of the cave and the vibration in her boot as one of the small things head-butted her in the shin. She could remember the color of their eyes, blue, like Grunt's. Jane could feel the recoil of the gun in her shoulders as she fired three shots.

That was the first thing that made Mahogany doubt her judgment.

That was when KK held a double meaning.

That's when it also became Kid Killer.

"Garrus," Jane said suddenly, her gaze lost in the orange glow in front of her.

"Yeah," He answered, his voice distracted by the task at hand.

"I know who was behind the attack on Virmire."

His head snapped in her direction, his mandibles flaring, orange light dancing about his face.

"How do you…"

"EDI and Joker pulled footage from the security cameras. Kalli was there, the Quarian from Omega. If she was there then that means that The Shade was behind the attack."

Garrus was quiet for a moment, processing the information.

"Garrus?" She asked again, her eyes finally finding him in the low light of the bridge. Her voice was lower, softer, filled with an unmistakable pain.

"Yeah?"

There were many things she wanted to speak about, to get off her chest. The weight of the mission and her failures that were already mounting up were starting to crush her and she was beginning to feel as if she was being buried alive. Johnny had always told her that it was better to share your burdens with others than to keep them to yourself, but he was a hypocrite. He never shared anything with her…never even gave her the chance to help him and now she had been chosen to finish something he had started. It was maddening. She wanted to blurt out everything that was bothering her, everything that had ever bothered her, but it all caught in her throat…all but one.

"Why did he leave me behind?"

The Turian looked at her, bewildered by her comment. He wasn't sure how to answer, hell he wasn't even sure who she was referring to, but the look in her eyes told him she was desperate for an answer that he didn't know how to provide. He knew loss, how it could affect someone, but didn't know what to say. He was unnerved under her gaze, the sudden tender brokenness such a contrast to her normal behavior. She laughed then, a small smile coming to face before she got up from her seat and stretching her arms over her head.

"EDI retrieve the probes and then head to the nearest port so we can start on the repairs," Jane whispered so she wouldn't wake Joker.

"Yes Jane," the AI answered back.

Jane started for the elevator then, her bare feet slapping lightly against the catwalk. She stopped for a moment, turning slightly to look back at Garrus.

"I know it's hard, but try to get some sleep Garrus. I need you sharp."

She didn't wait for a response before turning and continuing on her way down the catwalk and to the elevator, her shoulders heavy and hunched forward as if the weight of the whole galaxy was upon them.

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A/N: Sorry for the super long delay. I suck, I know. I hope you like and are still willing to read.


	24. Chapter 24

Jane frowned at the engineer, his four eyes blinking at her irritably. He had been haggling a deal for the ship repairs with her for almost an hour and had gotten nowhere. She had tried to explain to him countless times that it was an Alliance ship and that the credits would be transferred to him when the job was done, but that wasn't good enough. He wanted it up front or there was no deal. That Batarian looked like he had seen better days, his face riddled with scars and the top left eye was clouded over with blindness. He was even missing a few teeth, which was an extreme rarity in this day and age.

"We have all the material for the repairs that need to be made. It won't even cost you any of your own. That should make you willing to help right there," Jane said heatedly, her temper teetering on the edge of exploding.

"No credits, no repairs," The Batarian said gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What if I told you my ship was on a mission to save the galaxy from the harbinger of certain death?"

His eyes blinked.

"No credits, no repairs."

An aggravated grumble came from right behind her, Jane's gaze stuck on the Batarian as her friend spoke.

"Is that the only damn thing he knows how to say?" Sticks asked, aggression rolling off of him.

"You obviously weren't paying attention earlier when he wouldn't shut up," Garrus chimed in, his annoyance obvious.

Jane looked over her shoulder then, her gaze landing on Garrus, and let out a sigh. She had brought the ex c-sec officer along because he knew the most about the problem and after all the probing they had done the night before…well, she felt strangely closer to him.

"Is there anything you could say that could change his mind?" Jane asked Garrus, his mandibles twitching slightly at the question.

He pushed past her gently then. He could tell by the way the muscles in her jaw kept clenching that the commander was desperately trying to hold her calm. He had noticed the tick recently, mostly happening when she was talking to him or Kaidan, but it was even worse now. Hell, even the delicate veins in her neck were starting to bulge. If she lost her cool they were definitely not going to get anywhere with the repairs they needed.

"Is there anything we could give you that would get this thing started?" Garrus asked, trying to be diplomatic.

John had always been the diplomat in their group, getting people to do things they wouldn't normally do. It was another thing John Shepard didn't have in common with his sister. The Batarian lifted his arm and pointed to the weapon strapped to Jane's hip. It was a pristine M-9 Tempest submachine gun, grey with blue striping. Engraved on the barrel were two words; duty and honor. Garrus had thought nothing of it, except that it was exceptionally maintained, until the reaction from Jane at the Batarian's request.

"Oh, fuck no!" Jane exclaimed, her hand going to the gun in a protective manner. "You can't have my fucking gun."

"No gun, no credits, no repairs!"

Jane let out a curt laugh, her head falling back and to the side, her dark gaze finding Sticks who had come to her side. He was giving her that look, the 'don't do anything stupid' look that she got from him quite often. Jane hated that look. Her eyes traveled back to the gruff Batarian, her brow drawn together menacingly.

"You want my gun?" Jane asked, the question coming out sinister and deadly.

"Yes," He replied, one of his hands going to the gun resting at his side.

"Jane," Sticks said in a warning tone.

The room grew tense for a moment as Jane and the Batarian engineer stared each other down. Garrus stayed perfectly still in his place, just a step in front of Jane. The muscles in her jaw were twitching uncontrollably and just as a yell of protest came from Sticks, Jane went for her gun, stepping forward. Garrus reacted on instinct, his arm reaching out and grabbing her wrist before the butt of her gun came crashing down on the Batarian's face.

"Violence will get us nowhere. We need those repairs," Garrus growled, his mandibles flaring irritably.

"Listen to your Turian friend girlie," The Bartarian added, putting his gun back in its holster. "No gun, no credits, no repairs."

Jane tried feebly to pull her arm away from Garrus, but he held firm, his gaze only flicking to Sticks' position for a moment before all his attention went back to her. The anger broke then, Jane's face softening and becoming one of despair, eyes full of sadness. He was puzzled by the change. It was just a gun, wasn't it? And just as quick as the look had come, it vanished.

"Fine," Jane answered, her voice sterner than she projected physically. "The guns yours so you'll start the repairs today while I have the funds transferred."

The Batarian was quiet for a moment, his four eyes unblinking as he thought it over.

"Gun now, funds at the end," he answered, holding out one of his hands.

Garrus hesitated for a moment before releasing her wrist. He would afford that amount of trust at least. Jane quickly put the safety on, ejected the heat sink, flipped the piece in her hand and handed it to the engineer grip first.

"You can buy your own damn ammo."

He grunted in acceptance at that, taking the gun and running one of his hands appreciatively along the barrel.

"It will be done in two days."

"By tomorrow morning. If you do that I'll have the alliance send you another 30,000 credits."

"Tomorrow morning then."

And with that it was finally over, Jane leaving as quickly as she could. Garrus and Sticks started after her, Garrus' footfalls long and swaggering while Sticks' were calm and sure. He was used to the woman and all her eccentricities by now. He saw it as being part of her charm… most of the time anyway. Hell, he didn't find her anger at losing a gun particularly strange. Jane thought of them as an extension of her, a trusty comrade in any battle that she went into. Sticks could understand that, but the way she was walking with a slight drag of her feet told him something was amiss. Jane never drug her feet.

"Something wrong Jane?" He inquired, his voice holding that friendly tone it always did when speaking to her.

"Not a thing," She answered quickly, never stopping or looking over her shoulder as she did so.

"Jane," He said again.

This time she stopped so abruptly that Garrus almost ran right into the back of her. She looked over her shoulder then, her grey eyes void of any emotion. Yeah, Jane was definitely hiding something from him.

"Didn't you have some personal business to take care of?" she inquired, one of her delicate brows rising as she said so.

_Yes,_ he thought to himself, but what came out was "No."

His arms crossed over his chest as she turned toward him. Getting laid could wait. There were more important things right in front of him.

"I'm not letting you brush me off Jane. That doesn't work with me and you know it."

"I don't want to talk about it right now Sticks," Jane sighed, her eyes drifting to Garrus before trailing off and watching a few Salarians walk past them and down the wide hallway.

"I can get rid of the Archangel if he's the problem."

Garrus' mandibles flared as he took a defensive stance. Jane huffed, waving her friends comment off.

"It has nothing to do with Garrus," Jane started, her aggravation rising again. "It's just shit I don't want to talk about."

"You almost pistol whipped that Batarian in the face Jane."

She snapped at that, her teeth gritting together as she tried to swallow the words that were like bile in her throat. The two Turians had effectively cornered her. That gun…it meant more to her than either of them could ever understand. She didn't want to tell them, it was something she had always kept to herself, but the longer they stared at her the more the words clawed at her throat.

"My brother gave me that gun. It was the only gift I ever got from him."

The words came out as an angry whisper, painful in their manifestation. Suddenly she felt ashamed, her mind racing back to Johnny and the very last time she saw him, the venomous words she had thrown at him. Without waiting for a reply from her companions she turned to leave only to come face to face with two new faces in familiar armor.

The first was a human male with black wavy hair hanging slightly in his ice blue eyes. A large scar ran across his left cheek and a lopsided grin was on his face as he looked her over in a knowing manner. He was dressed in Eclipse armor, the arms of his chest plate missing and exposing his muscled arms. Next to the man stood a female Salarian, her large dark eyes unblinking but kind. A large blue stripe ran from her bottom lip down her long chin and a black hood stuck out of her slim Eclipse armor and over her head, hiding her fringe as all female Salarians did. She smiled at Jane then, her gaze never leaving the solider.

"I think I can retrieve that gun for you." Her voice was haunting, commanding.

"Who are you?" Jane asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. The Salarian female winked.

"An ally."

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A bead of sweat worked its way down her chin and into her exposed cleavage as she struggled to hold the empty cargo crate up. It was her fifth attempt to keep it floating above the floors of the cargo bay and with every new attempt the amount of time she held it up became shorter and shorter.

Her biotics sputtered pitifully before the crate crashed to the floor loudly. With a loud scream of frustration Jack kicked at her water bottle and sent it skidding under a work bench. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with her biotics. They had started acting up at the most inopportune time back during the attack on Virmire and since then weakening more and more every day. It was infuriating. Jack had gotten the notion to ask Miranda if she had ever experienced anything like this, but then she remembered she would rather eat a grip of nails.

No, it was something that she would have to figure out on her own.

A cough coming from behind her drew her attention, Jack's head whipping around to look at the intruder. Thane leaned against a large supply crate, one of his hands covering his mouth as he let out another cough. He looked pale again a detail that was bothering her as much as her wonky biotics.

"Are you still having trouble?" Thane inquired after his coughing had passed. Jack's eyes narrowed at the Drell, her hands resting on her hips.

"How the hell do you know I'm having trouble?"

Thane just looked at her, blinking once as he waited for her to answer. Dammit.

"It's just gotten worse since Virmire. That last crate I couldn't even hold up for two fucking minutes!" Jack exclaimed in frustration.

"You have any idea what could be causing it?"

Jack went to answer when a wave of nausea came over her. Without a word she ran to a discarded trash bin, threw the lid off and promptly vomited. She felt a cool hand on her back as she continued to purge her meal rations back up and into the bin.

"Are you ill?" The Drell asked, his voice full of concern.

Jack shook her head. She had felt fine all day, the nausea coming out of nowhere. But something did feel….off about her, different, and it was freaking her out.

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Kaidan frowned down at the report in front of him, one of his hands running through his black, regulation cut, hair. It was the third time that he had read over the service record of Jane Shepard. Enrolled in the Alliance Military Academy at fifteen, graduated at eighteen and accepted into the N7 program. She did a short tour on Earth before doing a tour on Palavan. Tuchanka, Akuze, Noveria…her list of deployments was long and impressive. But on top of that Jane Shepard's list of disciplinary actions taken against her seemed to be a mile long. Unlike her brother who talked with his mouth, the youngest talked with her fist.

In all honesty he was surprised the she hadn't been court marshaled yet. There had to be something about her that he was missing. There was something else that caught it eye about her records. Every time she was up for a promotion and transferred she asked to be reassigned to the Normandy. She had been denied and every time it wasn't at the insistence of Anderson, but Shepard himself. Kaidan's brow furrowed at the information. He had seen the bit of information before, but the more he thought about it the stranger it seemed. Why would John refuse to have his sister around when he accepted strangers so freely?

"Alenko Commander."

The mechanical voice seared through the silence of the crew quarters. Kaidan started, his head snapping up and away from the documents before him. He had been so lost in thought that he didn't even hear the doors open. Legion was standing just inside the closed doorway, his light twitching back and forth as if out of nervousness. Kaidan cleared his throat before answering. He still found it strange that John had made nice with a Geth. They had killed so many of them just three years ago.

"Yes, Legion?"

The Geth took that as a sign to approach. When he got to the small round table he stopped and gently set a small disc before Kaidan. It was a holovid.

"Shepard Commander instructed us to give you this," Legion replied. Kaidan's eyes widened slightly as his hand reached out and snatched the disc from the table.

"How long have you had it?"

"Since before the Omega-4 relay."

"And you're just giving this to me now?" Kaidan exclaimed, his neck reddening in anger.

"Yes," Legion answered, his face plates flaring at the obviousness to the male commanders question.

"And why's that?"

"We had difficulty coming to a consensus. You do not trust Jane. We do."

"The holovid is from Shepard. It has nothing to do with Jane," Kaidan replied.

"They all have to do with Jane."

"And how do you know that?"

"We recorded it."

Kaidan was silent for a moment, his eyes hard as he took in the machine before him. That large red patch on his chest might have looked like a heart, but that didn't mean the thing knew what it was like to have feelings…to know what it was like to love, to grieve…to trust.

"You're just a machine. What do you know about trust," Kaidan asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"We are more than a machine. I….am more than a machine. Trust is what we give our friends. Jane is my friend as Shepard was yours and mine. She teaches us what it means."

"What, what means?"

"To be organic."

Silence fell over the two, Kaidan still clutching onto the holovid tightly as if it would slip from his grasp and he would never find it again. Legion let out a whirl before he turned and left, not giving the officer another hint that the Geth even knew he was there. Kaidan watched him leave, his brow furrowed together in slight confusion. Was it even possible for a synthetic to…feel?

With a shake of his head the thought was pushed to the back of his mind, all his thoughts back to the little piece of his friend that had been left behind for him. He set it down on the table and stared at it for a moment before a crackle from the intercom stopped him.

"Kaidan there's something you have to see." It was Joker. His voice was strained.

"Is it important?" Kaidan exasperated, reaching out and grabbing the disk and quickly putting it in his pocket.

"It's news feeds coming in from Batarian Space. It's…uh…it's been hit."

Kaidan froze. He didn't need to be told who or what. It was what Shepard had been warning everyone about for three years. The Reapers had finally come.

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Author's note: Okay so here it is. The reapers appear! Thanks for all the support on this story, it really motivates me to make it as good as I possibly can. I have to say that I am nervous now that ME3 is out and about. I thought it was fantastic and there were some amazing ideas in it that MIGHT fit in this story, but with a very Jane twist to them…she isn't Shepard after all. I do like the Crucible idea, but the end game would be different so no worries there if I do end up using it. Haven't really decided yet. There were a lot of cool characters and I was wondering if there were any that you guys would like to see Jane run in to and what not so please tell me if you would like to see someone or something in the story. I'm just insanely curious about what you guys think. Sorry for the super long authors note. Thanks again for all the support. Love all you guys!

Oh and P.S: marathon by Heartless Bastards totally reminds me of Jane and John. Just a tidbit.


	25. Chapter 25

An ally. The female Salarian had said it so casually, so sure. It was a sentiment Jane hadn't received from someone in a very long time. But then again Jane had earned the allegiance of Eclipse back on omega after she had beaten their best. But a Salarian and Human as the leaders of the Eclipse? She never would have guessed. Jane had always imagined it being an asari, but she could go with this. Besides, she had always gotten along with Salarians. Well, mostly anyway.

"My name is Eno Wiks," the female said before one of her hands gestured to the male human at her side, "and this is Tanner Bronx, my partner in crime as well as in life."

One of Jane's delicate brows rose in surprise.

"Wiks? I know a Wiks. I met him back on Sur'kesh during recovery."

"Yes, my brother told me all about you," Eno said with a grin.

"I wish I could say the same for you. Padok never mentioned family," Jane said scratching at the back of her neck.

"As some brothers tend to do," She said with a knowing tone that made Jane twitch slightly in her spot. How much did she actually know about her? A silence fell over the five as the women sized each other up, Jane with a questioning stare and Eno with an amused one. The clearing of a throat startled Jane from her ponderings and towards the three males she had almost completely forgotten.

"Can we get on with it Love?" Tanner asked giving Eno a wink. "Now that the introductions are done I say we press on with the matter at hand. Walking and talking is something we all excel at."

Eno looked at her companion and nodded.

"Right as always."

"You don't know who we…" Sticks started but was cut off as Eno raised one of her large hands.

"Bartleby Monroe and Garrus Vakarian. Oh, we know all about the both of you."

"It's Sticks," He grumbled, sending a death glare towards Garrus when he refused to suppress his chuckle.

"Now how about we get that gun back," Eno said before she started back towards the hanger, Jane falling into step beside her. Silence fell between them as the boys followed close behind. It wasn't long before Jane heard Sticks start up a conversation with the human to break the silence. It made Sticks uncomfortable. Something they had in common.

"So what was it like, being a Turian raised by a human couple?" Jane heard Tanner ask.

Jane's head whipped to the side then, landing on her friend. It was a fact very few people knew, and the fact that the man had brought it up so casually made her uneasy. How the hell did these mercenaries know so much and where the hell were they getting their information? Sticks rarely talked about his human parents. It was too painful for him.

"Honestly? I got picked on a lot by the settlement kids, until I got bigger of course." Sticks replied with a good natured laugh, successfully dodging the subject of parents all together.

It was something Tanner clearly picked up on and let slide. She was thankful to him for that. Jane's gaze went back to the path before her, the Salarian female walking quietly beside her.

"A human, huh?" Jane said in an attempt to provoke her own conversation.

"Yes. Human males are extraordinary. Tanner is a fine specimen. You would realize their capabilities if you gave them a try."

Jane laughed at that. It seemed that if there was one thing that everyone knew about her it was her fetish for Turians. Of all the things she had done since she had joined the Alliance, it was that fact and that she was the first human spectres little sister that got the most attention.

"I did once. A few years back."

"And?" Eno asked, her large eyes blinking in anticipation.

"It was great. He was wild, hard and all male. Everything an Alliance solider should be."

"What got in the way?"

"Circumstance, duty…guilt."

"Do you ever think about him?" Eno asked.

Jane was quiet for a moment, a flash of dark hair and dark eyes visible in her mind for a fleeting moment.

"Sometimes…when I'm not neck deep in trouble."

"Maybe you should find him or someone," Eno started, her gaze drifting to the blue armored Turian following Jane silently, "to share intimate time with."

"It's not the time for that kind of thing. Not with the Reaper threat looming over my head," Jane exasperated, drawing the Salarians gaze to her once again.

"It is the perfect time for it. It reminds us all what we are actually fighting for."

Is that what her brother had been fighting for? What he had given his life for? Had the man who had never let emotions drive his actions actually given into them at the end? Had he fought for Jack? Or did he stay the righteous asshole he was and die for the safety of all? Selfish actions had never driven her brother. No. All the selfishness lied within her and it was maddening.

"Something troubling you?"

"No," Jane recovered quickly, "Just thinking."

"Hmmm," was all Eno said before they made their way into the docking bay. Jane's step faltered as she took in the scene around her. What minutes ago had been a busy hub was now a ghost town. There was no sound of machines at work or obscenities getting thrown from mechanic to mechanic. The only sound that filled the cavernous place was the muffled voice coming from a small news screen at the far side of the hanger. A large mass surrounded it making the thing impossible for any of them to see.

The group was silent and as still as the grave as all their attention was on the screen, forgotten tools and other devices hanging at their sides. Jane frowned, her brow knitting together as she took a small step forward, her Turian companions coming to her side instantly.

"Something isn't right?" Garrus said, a grunt of agreement coming from Sticks on her other side.

Tanner pushed passed them, his large form rocking Jane forward as he collided harmlessly into her shoulder. He stopped when he spotted his target at the back of the gathering of people.

"Tutu!" he yelled out. He got no answer. "TUTU!"

A large Batarian looked over his armored shoulder, all four eyes wide with shock. He was the biggest Batarian Jane had ever seen. His arms and legs were massive with muscle and he was tall on top of it, even taller than Garrus and Sticks. The dark tan skin of his face was practically flawless except for a few white scars marks spattering the left side of his face as if he had been caught in a small explosion. He said nothing at first, his mouth just opening before it shut again. Tutu's head turned back to the screen one more time before he disengaged from the mass and headed towards Tanner. The closer he got to him the more the fear and sorrow became evident in his eyes.

"What the hell is going on Tutu?" Tanner asked, his hand going out and grasping onto the Batarian's shoulder for support.

It was obvious he was in need of it. Tutu tried again to find the words, his mouth opening, but all that came out was a small strangled sound. His eyes closed then and his head hung forward. Eno stepped toward him, one of her hands falling on the Batarian's back. She had a look of worry on her face, something the Salarian did nothing to try and hide.

"What has happened Tutu? You're never like this."

When the revelation came it had Jane reeling. No matter how many times she watched that clip of the reapers Anderson had given her, or the times she had sat there and read over her brother's reports, in the back of her mind it still seemed like they could only ever be a ghost story they told each other back at the academy. But now…she couldn't tell herself it was just Georgie and Mahogany trying to scare her anymore.

"Aratoth…it's fallen," the whispered words fell out from behind his needle like teeth, "the reapers…"

"What?" Jane exclaimed in disbelief, unable to stop herself. She hurriedly pushed past them and into the crowed. She made no apologies as she muscled her way through the throng of people and towards the news screen. No one seemed to notice her. With one last pushed she could see the feed, the images and sounds searing themselves into her brain.

"_These shocking images are the last sent from Aratoth before all communication was lost. It is believed that it was a last distress call. It has been confirmed that the tape is a few hours old and no further reports have been sent in."_

The feed quickly rewound and paused on a hulking figure descending into the middle of a city, multiple machines looking like giants in the background.

"_Though it has not been officially confirmed what we are looking at, but the machines are of the same design as Sovereign, the reaper machine that attacked the Citadel three years ago. John Shepard, first human Spectre, fought and killed Sovereign with the help of the Alliance. There are numerous leaked reports that he warned the council of this…coming of the reapers, but they refused to listen. Commander Shepard gave his life trying to prevent this from happening. With the Savior of the Citadel gone who will save us now? We will keep you informed with the latest news on Aratoth. This is Diana Allers with Battlespace signing off."_

Jane stood frozen in her place, eyes wide as she looked at the now blank screen. Bodies surrounded her in similar states of shock, too scared to move as if the action would suddenly make everything they had all just seen and heard all too real. Her chest tightened and a sheen of sweat broke out underneath her armor. It had only taken the reapers a few hours to totally control an entire planet? What hope did she have of stopping them? It was complete and utter madness! What had Anderson been thinking putting her in charge of this? She was a complete failure. She was nothing like John or Ni…

"Commander!" A voice rang out, snapping her from her disastrous thoughts.

She turned slightly to look back at the voice, the sea of people parting as Kaidan came rushing towards her, the formality he had given her completely unnoticed. He came to a huffing stop in front of her. His dark eyes were as panic stricken as she felt. She looked around at all the unfamiliar faces. They all had the same look in their eyes as well.

"Commander, Batarian space has been compromised. The reapers…" He trailed off, suddenly realizing that she already knew exactly what was going on. She went to speak, but her voice cracked making Jane clear her throat. She shifted uncomfortably in her spot, beads of sweat noticeable at her hairline. Kaidan paused and waited. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, didn't know her well enough to pick up on her subtleties, but he suddenly wished he did. He felt lost in the dark with no light around to guide him and it was the most frightened he had ever felt in his life.

"I…" Jane stumbled. It was evident that she didn't know what to say.

None of them did.

"Girlie," a rough voice rang out, drawing her attention.

The old Batarian from earlier walked up to her, a small limp in his stride she hadn't noticed before. His eyes were full of resolve as he approached her, one of his rough hands going for the gun at his side. Jane didn't attempt to protect herself as he took it from its holster. He pointed it at her for a moment, her gaze looking down the barrel of the gun her brother had given her before it was quickly flipped and presented to her. When she didn't move to take it the Batarian grabbed for her hand, opened her clenched fist and plopped it into her hand before closing it back over the cool metal of the gun.

"You save us," He said, his voice unwavering as he did so. There was no doubt in his eyes, only sheer determination. It startled her completely. It was only minutes ago that this Batarian didn't believe a word she had told him.

Jane hesitated for a moment, unsure under the old engineer's gaze, before she looked to her side to see Garrus, Kaidan and Sticks standing there with her. They all had mixed emotions etched on their faces from fear to uncertainty to disbelief and then lastly unshakeable trust. It was the last emotion that had her worried. Sticks always trusted her no matter what and she felt at times she had done nothing to deserve such faith. He nodded at her then, arms crossing over his chest as he stood waiting on her. He would wait forever for her. She knew he would.

"We will save you," Jane finally said as she slid her gun back into its rightful place. In doing that small act she felt calmer, more rational. Her head rose up, her shoulders straightened and set aggressively. The Batarian smiled at her in response.

"Give me five hours. Repairs will be done."

"And I will send a message to all my men," Eno added from the back of the mob, people parting out of her way. "We will be at your disposal whenever you have need of us."

"Thank you," Jane said before she quickly made her way back towards her ship. "Men on me. Joker, get me a patch to Anderson."

"He's already on the line Jane. I have him up in the comm room."

"Tell him I'll be there in two."

"You got it."

Jane picked up her pace as she made it to the loading ramp of the Normandy, three sets of footfalls echoing behind her. She knew it wasn't the time to panic, to dwell on her past failings or inadequacies for the job that had been given to her, but she couldn't help herself. The closer she got to the comm room the more Jane felt like she was going to fall apart at the very seams. The look Sticks had given her sent a stab of remorse shooting through her as she exited the airlock and made her way onto the main deck. People were counting on her, he was counting on her, and she couldn't let them down.

She couldn't fail.

Not ever again.

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"_Don't think you can push me around because you're bigger!" the girl screamed before she threw a wild punch at the boy. He had been watching the whole thing from behind the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle. It was the new girl that had yelled in furry and understandably so. _

_She had been backed into a corner by one of the biggest boys in their year. He was an ugly sod and just as mean. He wasn't even sure why the academy let him stay, but it wasn't up to Mahogany to decide anyway. He was just a boy in their school trying to graduate and become something…well he didn't know exactly. It was Georgie that wanted to be the hero. All he wanted to do was keep his twin alive and out of trouble._

"_Leave me alone!" She screamed as she lashed out again. The bully swatted her away, knocking her to the ground in the process. Her grey eyes went wide right before she slammed her chin down on the paneling of the floor, successfully busting it open. A small curse was heard over the roar of laughter as she tried to pick herself off the ground, her brown hair falling in her face but not fast enough for Mahogany not to spot the tears that started to fall from her eyes. He let out a sigh. She had only been at the academy a week and she was already attracting this kind of thing?_

_She was as much trouble as Georgie was._

_With a sigh he pushed himself off the wall and muscled his way through the crowd. He came to a stop before her, the bully's dark eyes cutting to him as Mahogany reached down a hand to help her up._

"_You know it's not polite to pick on girls, especially if they're smaller than you Bower."_

_Bower fumed in his spot, his massive hands forming into fists at his sides as he eyed Mahogany. A ripple of doubt filled the crowd as they started to whisper to each other, their gazes turning spiteful as they landed on Bower._

"_She started it, couldn't keep her big mouth shut!" Bower exclaimed._

_Mahogany didn't say anymore to the brutish boy as he helped the girl to her feet. She stumbled into him slightly, her face still pointed downward as she clutched onto the front of his shirt. _

"_Whatever," Bower mumbled before he pushed his way through the crowd and through the mess hall, dispersing the people in the process. Mobs never stuck around when there was nothing to see, a fact Mahogany had made a point of learning very early on. He never did like unwanted attention._

"_Thank you," the girl whispered once everyone was gone, her hold on his shirt loosening a bit. _

"_You're welcome, uh…" Mahogany started. He didn't know her name and suddenly felt guilty for not knowing it. Georgie knew it and hadn't even met the girl yet. She let go of him then and stepped away. One of her hands went up and whipped at her eyes roughly before she finally looked up at him. Blood was running down her neck from the open gash on her chin and her eyes were puffy from the tears, but her gaze was suddenly hard in attempt to hide the fact that she had been beaten. She held out a small hand then, the palm calloused from what he could only guess was hard labor from wherever she had come from. _

"_Jane Shepard."_

Blue eyes popped open, the last bit of his dream lingering in his mind… a haunting pair of grey eyes. With an aggravated huff Mahogany threw the covers from his legs and lifted himself from the bed. He hated those dreams; the pleasant ones from a life past that he would never get back. They haunted him, tormented him and he wished that he could just rid himself of them completely.

He just wasn't that lucky.

They always seemed to involve her one way or another. He had spent most of his adolescent life following her around alongside his brother. Their first encounter seemed to be the most prominent one on his mind, alongside the night him and her had gotten drunk when Georgie had been on a date. It had been their first time trying Turian ale. She had been knocked on her ass and he had to carry her back to that hole of an apartment that she called home. It was one of the few times she had let herself become vulnerable around him. And it was the first time…

Mahogany shook his head violently before he made his way into his bathroom. Turning the water on, he let it run unchecked as he gazed at himself in the large mirror over the sink. Same unruly reddish brown hair, same blue eyes, but all that Mahogany had once been was gone. Mahogany had died in that crash all those years ago. All the remained of Mahogany was in dreams. He was the Shade now.

Soft laughter filled the silent space around him, his eyes slamming shut as he tried to block out the sound. It was her laugh, the one that she always made when she let her guard down.

The dreams…they were always when she was vulnerable. When she…

Then a strangled yell escaped him as one of his fists lashed out and collided with the mirror, shattering it. He looked at his fragmented self, the Shade visible once again in that gaze. How he hated Jane Shepard with every fiber of his being.

"Sir?" A voice asked from his room, knowing better than to venture farther inside. He knew he picked up that quarian for more than a piece of ass.

"What is it?"

"It's started sir. The reapers have full control or Batarian space."

Mahogany smiled slightly at that, the running water grabbing his attention. He placed his bloody knuckles under the flow of water and watched the blood wash away and spiral down the drain.

"Good. Have you found out where they sent that Prothean artifact yet?"

"No sir, still working on it."

"Well get back to it. Now."

"Yes sir."

Now it was just a small waiting game. How long would it take for Jane to fold under the pressure? It never failed. Jane Shepard always fell apart when she was needed most.

And he was going to be there to deliver the finishing blow.

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Author's note: hope you liked it. Oh and if anyone wants to be a beta for me just pm me or something. i know i need one.


	26. Chapter 26

Kaidan stood silent beside Jane, his eyes fixated on the projection of the human councilor hovering in front of him. Even though it was just a picture of the man the weariness and sorrow was evident, etched into every line upon his face. It was weighing heavily on the councilor, as it was on all of them.

"Do you have any information on how many where lost?" Jane asked with hesitation.

She didn't want to hear the answer, but needed to, in an attempt to grasp the situation. Kaidan looked to her then, his dark gaze landing on a bead of sweat that was sliding slowly down the pale flesh of her neck. It stopped just above the collar of her armor as if it too was waiting for the reply from Anderson. Her face was stoic and hard, showing no outward signal of the nervousness she was feeling internally. Jane Shepard was all trained professional, except for that traitorous bead of sweat on her flesh. Kaidan knew the girl was putting on a front, but he was still strangely comforted by it. It was better than the deer in the headlights looks she'd had on the docks. He at least didn't feel alone in the dark anymore.

"We haven't gotten confirmed reports yet, but the numbers are in the millions. Not many ships reported making it through the relay."

"Jesus." The word left Kaidan's mouth unfiltered and raw. It was worse than Horizon and things were only going to get more desperate. Jane stayed silent, absorbing the information.

"Jane," Anderson's voice said tenderly, grabbing the girl's attention from the floor. "There was a small amount of good news that came from this."

"And what was that?" Her voice sounded bitter, angry. The room fell incredibly silent, even Miranda, the woman that always seemed to have something to say, said nothing.

"A Batarian Battle cruiser was able to cripple a reaper and crash it into the relay along with itself. It caused enough damage to buy us some time."

Jane smirked at that, her shoulders rocking as a snort rushed from her mouth. So, Batarians were more than pirates and slavers after all. She had always held that suspicion about them.

"How much time?" She asked

Anderson paused for only a moment, long enough to let everyone in the room know it wasn't a sufficient amount.

"Three days. Five at most."

"We might as well roll out the welcome mat for the fuckers," Jack piped up from back by the doorway. Jane peered over her shoulder. Every member of her team, even the newest Kal'Reeger, had come to hear the news. Jane hadn't protested. She figured that if they were willing to give their lives for the cause then they deserved every right to know the details.

"I'm headed to Earth to talk to the committee. Maybe they will give us some kind of preparation time."

"Will they even believe you? They never believed Johnny," Jane commented, her voice full of skepticism. People never wanted to believe wasn't in front of them, even if it was plastered all over the news network.

"The council believes it's real and that's why you're on your mission. They can't deny the proof any longer. If the human committee doesn't they will doom Earth just as the Batarians did Aratoth."

"I think it's too dangerous for you to go Anderson. If what I read in Miranda's reports of the Collectors is accurate, Earth will be a primary target. You're the human councilor. We can't risk losing you in an attack," Jane said matter-of-factly.

Anderson smiled slightly at that, his dark eyes, always business and no nonsense, turning soft.

"I won't put someone else's life in danger over mine."

Jane fell silent, her hands balling into fists at her sides as her head fell forward.

"Clear the room please. I need to talk to the councilor alone."

Her voice was low, demanding, and left no room for argument. They did as she asked, only Sticks lingering for a moment before he finally left Jane alone in the room with a hologram of a man she had admired for a long time.

"Anderson," Jane finally said after a long pause, her gaze still stuck on the toes of her boots. "You shouldn't go. If you're on Earth and the Reapers attack…you could be killed."

"We can all die in this Jane, you know that. But me going to Earth and talking to the committee is the only chance we have of them listening to reason."

She looked up at him then, her eyes pleading.

"Then let me come with you."

"No Jane. Stick to the plan. We need to make those alliances. They are the only way we all stand a chance in this."

Jane said nothing, no longer able to look at the man that had taught her so much.

"Jane."

Her gaze rose, hard and invulnerable.

"Promise me you'll get off that rock the minute a Reaper touches down. Promise me that Anderson."

"I can't make that promise Jane, but I will try my hardest to stay alive."

She nodded then, knowing that that was all she would be able to get from the man.

"Stay safe Anderson."

"You to Jane."

The image flickered for a moment before disappearing completely. The sudden silence engulfed her, the weight once again pressing down on her shoulders. Jane's eyes fluttered closed as she took a steading breath, trying to center herself. Her mind wandered to her friends, alive and lost, haunting reminders of what she had to accomplish. Rotating her neck slightly, the girl let out a satisfied sigh when her neck let off a muffled pop. Turning, Jane made to leave the room when the comm cracked to life. A feminine voice ripped through the space, slightly surprising Jane. Usually it was Joker informing her of things.

"Jane."

"Yes EDI?" Jane responded with a small sigh.

"You have a new message on your private terminal. It's from Admiral Hackett."

Jane let out a small groan. Admiral Hackett. Now there was a person, on a very long list of higher ranking officials she didn't have a good track record with. Saying they had a strained relationship was putting it nicely.

"Thank you EDI," She said before Jane headed for her small hiding hole. If only the Admiral didn't have access to her personal address information then everything would be peachy. Ah who the hell was she kidding? That was just asking too much.

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She stared at the screen blankly, her mind whirling with the mission parameters. It was a simple rescue mission when she got to the bare bones of it, but it seemed at a high cost. Jane knew that as an Alliance solider saving lives was one of her main duties, but when the whole galaxy was on the line a few lost lives seemed worth losing over the many. She couldn't turn it down though, wouldn't. Not just because it was a direct order from the Admiral, but because it would help cement an alliance with what remained of the Batarian fleet. But it was more than just that. No matter how hardened she had become and no matter what she had done in the past, she wouldn't leave these survivors alone out there.

They were only children.

"Joker," Jane called out, waiting only a moment for an answer.

"Yeah?"

"Call for a team meeting on the bridge in five minutes. We have a new mission."

"You got it," He replied, wariness in his otherwise sarcastic voice.

Jane sighed, her eyes glancing one last time at the message before she stood and left the room. The message had been clear; she was not to mess this up or he would have her ass. It wasn't in such harsh terms, but she knew what Hackett meant. He hadn't liked her since the day he met her when she graduated the academy and the feeling was mutual. But even though he grated on her nerves until she felt completely frazzled she would be successful.

Orders were orders, no matter who they came from, after all.

0000000000000

Garrus leaned patiently against the AI module on the bridge, a twitchy Kaidan standing next to him. They had both arrived at the time the meeting was supposed to arrive, but Jane had yet to show up. The rest of the team was there, including their new commanders ever faithful pet. Garrus watched him from across the bridge, that annoyance and nagging suspicion still there from the first day he had met the clanless Turian. Sticks was chatting it up with Kal'Reeger, laughing quietly at something the Quarian had said to him. The two had made fast friends since the marine had come aboard. In fact when Garrus thought about it, everyone had made fast friends with Sticks except him.

"Is this woman never on time?" Miranda finally said, throwing her hands up in the air before crossing her arms over her ample chest. "If she sets a time she could at least follow it."

"Is cheer leader getting antsy in her cat suit?" Jack chided from her seat in the empty co-pilot chair. Her hair had grown out a little more, the curl in her hair becoming a little more prominent. It made her look a softer and a little less deadly.

A small argument started between the two, but their biting words fell on deaf ears. Just at the entrance of the bridge Jane was leaning quietly against the curved wall, her arms crossed over her narrow chest. She was wearing her armor, the dim light casting elongated shadows against its battle-worn surface. There was no smile on her face, just a furrow of her dark brow and a curiosity and determination in her grey eyes. It was a look her brother held when he was assessing the situation in an overwhelming battle.

It was strange, but suddenly she looked so young physically and then again experienced in the actions that they all knew they were going to have to carry out as the war escalated and became more deadly. They were all prepared to die, Garrus knew that, but at that moment as she observed them all from the shadows, she looked the most ready and willing of that fact. Her eyes flicked away from the quarrelling girl and to him, her face suddenly becoming soft. He felt a small squeeze in his chest and a heat rise around the color of his armor. The armor she had bought him. Jane gave him a small smile, friendly and warm. It made him…he couldn't explain how it made him feel and wasn't sure if he wanted to be able to explain it. Was it respect or something more?

"Jane. Late as usual. Good excuse I imagine?" Mordin said, cutting through the haze that had started to surround Garrus' psyche. Had he really been that focused on her?

"Yeah, sorry about that I was going over some last minute details about the mission," Jane said as she pushed herself away from the wall and towards the team who was now focused on her. She stopped a few feet away from them all and brought up a schematic with her omni-tool, an orange glow dancing on her face from the light.

"I got a mission from Admiral Hackett that had to coincide with the news we were given to us by Anderson. It seems that a Batarian cruiser went down in the Argos Rho Cluster on Intai'sei. Now the general consensus is that if we can rescue survivors then we can cement an alliance with the remaining Batarian fleet," Jane explained, the schematic showing the world mentioned rotating slowly above her wrist.

"Intai'sei. Hot. Arid. Windy. Not the most hospitable of places," Mordin added, rubbing at his scarred chin.

"But it is hospitable. About 150,000 human colonists live there and run wind farms and research stations," Kasumi added, her face thoughtful.

"Right, but since we all seem to be so lucky the last time the cruiser made any contact with the rest of its fleet it was on the far side of the planet, by the Loukai Desert. That's clear on the other side from where the colonists are. There does seem to be some type of abandoned research station near where the beacon of the ship is coming from. We will split into four teams, three apiece. I'll be leading squad one with Garrus and the new guy. Miranda you're leading squad two with Legion and Sticks. There is a small cave system nearby that I want you to investigate. The survivors could have gone there for shelter. Kaidan you will take squad three with Thane and Kasumi. I want you searching the wreckage. Mordin I want you to take Grunt and Jack and be the extraction team. Stay with the shuttle. Now each team is going to be given a flare. Shoot it off if there is any trouble and I want Mordin and his team to airlift them out immediately."

Another schematic came up of a ridge looking over a gulch a few clicks away from the search zones. It was out of range of danger and had easy access points from below, obvious worn trails in the side of it.

"Now this is the landing zone. We have one hour to search our respective area for survivors. After that we have twenty minutes to get back to the landing zone and jet back to the Normandy with any survivors."

A pause filled the bridge as everyone took in the information.

"Where will we be ma'am?" Kal'Reeger asked. Garrus laughed slightly. He knew exactly where they would be.

Jane just smiled.

"The abandoned research facility, of course."

"Is there anything we should know about the survivors?" Kaidan asked. "Are they military or civilian?"

Every eye was on Jane as she answered, the room falling into a suffocating silence when she finally did.

"They're children and that is why we have to find as many as we can. Now we should be arriving at 0600 and we leave immediately. A lot depends on the success of this mission so get some rest. No sightings of reapers have been reported, but we need to be ready for anything. I'm going to get some shut eye, I suggest you all do the same," Jane finished, her voice suddenly sounding heavy and weary.

She turned then and left the bridge, her hunched form heading for the elevator. Garrus sighed as he looked over at his old friend, Kaidan looking as worn out as Garrus felt.

Kids. Why did it have to be kids?


	27. Dear Readers

Dear Readers,

I know, I know it is the dreaded authors note. It's a hot day in July where I am at and I just wanted to tell you all that I am working hard on the next chapter of The Girl They Called Jane. It's going to be the longest chapter yet! I am trying my hardest to make it one of the best chapters yet.

I have to give a warning now though that there are some sad things that happen that involve Batarian children. So I'm forewarning you now.

I also want to take this moment to thank ALL my readers for reading this story. It started off as just a small one-shot for my cousin, just the very first chapter, and I posted it to see what people thought and everyone seemed to like as much as I did so I continued. Sorry I am such a silent writer and that I don't answer everyone's reviews, but I read and appreciate every single one of them. Also, sorry that it takes me so long to update.

I should have the next chapter up within the next seven days. Yay!

Okay so now I just wanted to ask you guys some questions just to quench my curiosity.

What characters from Mass Effect 3 would you want to see in the story?

Who could you see Jane with?

Who would you be really upset over if they died in this story?

What do you think about Jack being pregnant?

Who is your favorite character in this story?

Do you have any other pairings in this story?

What do you think Sticks would look like in human form?

Okay that's it and thank you again for reading and liking this story. And a major thank you for liking Jane and Sticks so much, especially Sticks. He's my personal favorite. I hope you enjoy the chapters to come and that you keep reading. Thanks again!

-Mac


	28. Chapter 27

"Come in low, but don't touch down!" Jane yelled over her shoulder at the shuttle pilot from her place in front of the shuttles door.

"Yes ma'am," he hollered back to her, making Jane frown.

A flicker of annoyance raced through her before it subsided. She hadn't had much contact with the young pilot so she couldn't get aggravated with him for being like every solider in the alliance and following protocol. But if she had to choose between ma'am and sir, hands down it would be sir. Ma'am just made her feel fucking old. Her eyes scanned over the people behind her, the team. Some were making final checks to their weapons and others were holding onto a cross beam for support against the rocky descent of the shuttle.

"Take it easy Myers," Jane said as a particularly hard jolt sent her banging into the closed loading door.

"Sorry Ma'am," Myers responded, "It's a little windy."

She ignored his response as she steadied herself, widening her stance. Jane caught a glimpse of Sticks standing in the middle of them all, towering over most. The mandibles on his unmarked face flared slightly before his nose crunched up in slight concentration. Purple eyes looked down at the helmet in his hands, but did not see it. Jane had seen this routine before. He was calming himself, focusing for the mission and also hardening himself for what they might find.

Sticks had a soft spot for children of any species. With another small flare of his mandibles he put on his helmet. The piece of armor was black like the rest of it except for the three white marks that slashed down the left side as if he had been attacked by a large cat. His head shifted toward her then, just slightly, and he nodded. Jane nodded back, winked, and couldn't stop the small smile from coming to her face. Sticks. Always loyal. Always there. No matter what he seemed to bring a smile to her face. He was a lot like Georgie in that aspect. Another violent rock brought her back to the task at hand as she steadied herself with another slight shuffle of her feet.

"Now you all remember the parameters of the mission," Jane started, raising her voice so she could barely be heard over the commotion of the shuttle.

"You have one hour to look for survivors and twenty minutes to get to the rendezvous point. Stay in radio contact and stay sharp. Just because there haven't been any reports of enemies mean they aren't there. Time starts ticking when your feet touch ground!"

"Approaching drop zone," Myers said, the door lifting behind Jane. Wind burst through the opening, ripping a few strands of her brown hair loose to dance violently around her face.

"Stay tight and find as many as you can!"

With that Jane turned towards the opening, her hand reaching back and releasing her rifle from its holster and into position. Then she jumped, landing on the hard packed earth as gracefully as she was able, the rest of the ground team seconds behind her.

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Jack hung on tightly to the cross bar above her, her dark gaze still glued to the three teams on the ground. Dust danced around them as they began to depart to their separate destinations, Jane's team lingering for a moment. She turned back towards the shuttle and jerked her thumb upward, motioning for them to take off.

"Teams clear. Head for rendezvous point." Mordin said to Myers, his voice scarcely heard over the roaring wind spilling into the shuttle through the open door.

They started pulling away, the door coming down and closing quickly. Jack still looked out at them until the door was shut, Jane hoofing it up a small hill with Garrus and Kal'Reegar at her flank being the last thing she saw.

"I don't like being left behind," Grunt said from behind her, his voice rumbling from deep within his multi-chambered chest.

"Not left behind. Given important task. Protecting the shuttle," Mordin replied, his eyes blinking as he took in a large break through his nose before continuing. "Last hope."

Grunt let out a condescending laugh as he put his shotgun back into its holster.

"There hasn't been a report of hostiles on this planet in ages. There are no enemies here."

"There's always an enemy," Jack weighed in. "We weren't expecting that Thresher Maw during your right of passage on Tuchanka, but there it was and we kicked its ass."

Grunt let out a menacing laugh as he remembered it all.

"I remember that damn thing spitting up all over your leg and Shepard saving your ass."

"Hey that fucking thing spit acid. It ripped through my goddamn shields."

"You just wanted Shepard's attention," Grunt teased, that deep rolling laugh still pouring from his massive mouth.

Jack felt her biotics bristle along her marked skin in aggravation. She knew he was joking and that was the only thing that was keeping her from sending a shockwave into Grunt that would throw him across the shuttle. The woman had never been good with teasing and there was no way she would play damsel for any man, even Shepard. He never would have gone for that sort of thing anyway.

He had liked his women strong and who could handle themselves in a situation. Jack's mind wandered, going back to her room on Pragia, Shepard standing beside her hand listening as she rattled off about her time there. He hadn't said much, just listened. It was what she had needed and it was then that Jack realized she had growing feelings for him.

Her body began to ache as she remembered that time in his cabin before the Collector base. She had broken down in front of him and he didn't throw her out like she had half expected him to. They had had sex and it was the only time that it felt like something, meant something more than just the temporary pleasure. John had whispered things to her until she fell asleep, loving things. He had loved her, accepted her for everything she was, even the fucked up shit.

God she missed him.

"Jack?" Grunt asked, the laugh gone and replaced with a questioning reluctance. She blinked quickly and cleared her throat as she bit back the sting of tears in her eyes.

"I'm fine," She said, "let's just stay focused on the fucking mission."

He said nothing after that, just nodded his head. She closed her eyes and shook her head lightly. She wouldn't cry. Badass chicks didn't cry in front of anyone. Ever.

_Shit. _She thought. What the fuck was happening to her?

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The light from the end of his rifle danced about the darkness of the tunnel, occasionally crossing paths with his squad mates' beams of light. It was suffocating, dark and the humidity became thicker the farther they went in. By the amount of moisture in the air Sticks could only conclude that they were near a main water source for the area. The tunnel system was a fairly easy one to follow, a fact her was thankful for. There were only a few branching tunnels that at some point met a dead end or ran back to the main shaft.

An agitated whirling noise broke through the silence to his right, Sticks' head shifting just enough to where he could see the geth in his peripheral vision through the visor of his helmet. The light in Legion's head swiveled around nonstop, sweeping the area again and again. When they had entered tunnel he had tried to scan the area for any type of vital signs, but they hadn't made it one hundred feet before something disrupted his scanner and rendered it useless. At first Miranda had said to fall back incase whatever it was started messing with his other systems, but Legion had assured her that nothing else was wrong and she had trusted him. It was a fact that had surprised Sticks. If he had come to learn anything about the Cerberus woman it was that she didn't really trust anyone.

"Another tunnel branching off to the left," Miranda said, her voice clear and crisp, but whispered. The biotic had her pistol out of her holster and at the ready in front of her. She was nervous. Good. It wasn't just him. Something felt really off about the place. Miranda took point, Sticks and Legion following close behind, their footsteps a thunderous echo off the cavernous walls.

Miranda stopped suddenly, her light having fallen on a small mass lying in the middle of the tunnel. Sticks stepped around her slightly to get a better view. It was small, had been white once upon a time and the exposed sole's thread was worn with use. As he started walking towards it he could hear Legion's voice start rattling things that confirmed the fear growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Size three. We conclude that it belongs to one of the missing children."

Sticks crouched down, resting his rifle against one of his thighs as he picked up the tiny shoe with his large hand.

"Is there any blood?" Miranda asked, still keeping a small distance from him and the shoe. "Anything?"

"No," Sticks replied as one of his long talons skimmed over a Velcro strap, the piece flopping back after he passed over it, "No blood, just a broken strap."

His hand curled around the shoe, engulfing it in his grasp. A scream pierced the silence, a blood curdling sound that ripped violently from a young throat. Sticks stood in a hurry, grabbing his rifle with both hands and dropping the shoe. Miranda and Legion where beside him in a moment, all three beams of light shining down the tunnel. They waited silently, Sticks' grip on his gun growing tighter with every passing second of silence. Then he heard it, a low moaning sound echoing from down the tunnel followed by another scream of terror.

"There are kids down there," Sticks said as he started forward.

With that they broke off into a run and suddenly a huge cavern appeared in front of them, blue lights dancing in the darkness. And moaning, moaning that seemed too drowned out the whole world. But through it all Sticks saw a small green light that illuminated the darkness and revealed a young face, the four eyes filled with unimaginable fear.

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Kasumi let out a small grunt as she shifted another broken panel out of her way to reveal the only thing they had been seeing for the last forty minutes, carnage and death. A small arm poked out from more rubble, blood having run down the arm and pooled in the palm. Kasumi reached down, and even though she knew the answer, she felt for a pulse anyway. Nothing.

A ragged, wet cough drifted through the dry air, drawing her attention away from the lifeless limb and to the noise. Thane stood on a large chunk of ripped hull, his body hunched over as he coughed violently into the bend of his arm. He was pale and the deep red on his face had turned to a frightening shade of pink. Kasumi just waited, watched as he continued to cough. His body shook with every sharp intake of breath, one particularly violent cough almost sending his to his knees. She took a step forward then, but stopped when his eyes flicked over to her direction. He had tracked her movement, even through his obvious distress. The coughing ceased, Thane standing straight on shaky knees.

"Are you alright?" She asked. He paused for only the briefest of moments, but it was enough that Kasumi knew the answer would be a lie.

"Yes," Thane replied, his voice raw.

She frowned at him, but nodded. His Keprals was getting worse, had been for a while, but Thane still refused to face it. It was admirable, but stupid. Though he had never been a proper solider in a proper company of soldiers, he still had that mentality of the best. It was the thing that Shepard had had.

Fight until the last breath.

She admired him for it, but knew, like she knew he did, that if he continued to try and fight in his condition that not only would his death come swiftly but so would someone else's. A rustle and a small curse came from behind her, drawing both of their attentions. Kaidan stumbled out of what was left of the cockpit, the last place for them to look before their part of the search was done. He walked towards her, is usual semi-serious face gone and replaced with one of utter disappointment and defeat. Kaidan stopped just in front of her, brown eyes sad.

"Did you find anyone?" she inquired, her voice soft, almost a whisper.

He held up his hand then, something she had failed to notice upon his approach dangling from it. It was a small asari doll, the fabric caked with dust and a spattering of dried blood.

"No," he said, his voice trying but failing to be devoid of emotion. She took the small thing gingerly from his grasp, her grip tightening as she brought it closer to her chest. He gave her a quick sorrowful look before his gaze turned to Thane.

"We should head to the rendezvous point. There's nothing left to find here," Kaidan said, authority slowly creeping back into his voice.

"Should we bury them?" Thane asked, his voice no longer raw, but weak.

"There are too many. We don't have the time."

Kasumi could see the pain in his face as he said it. It was the truth, but it didn't come off any less harsh.

"Then I will pray for them," Thane replied before he folded his hands and bowed his head. Soft words filled the heavy air that had been suffocating them all. Kasumi listened to his deep voice, her eyes closing as she clutched the doll even tighter to her chest.

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Jane held her rifle at the ready, the butt of the gun against her shoulder and her gaze down the scope. She moved swiftly down the catwalk, her heavy footfalls thunderous, three other sets echoing her own. One echoed her perfectly, while one trailed by a step or two and the last shuffled quickly to keep up. The grating groaned under their combined weight. A whimper came from behind her, making Jane look away from the path in front of her and over her shoulder.

A small Batarian boy was crying, trying to quell his sobs into the rough shoulder of Garrus' armor. The boy couldn't have been more than three. When they had stumbled among him and the other two children he had been bruised and bloodied, but above all else frightened. There had been more of them at one time, the oldest had told her, but they perished or gotten separated. Garrus whispered to the small boy in his arms, the boys' arms tightening around Garrus' neck as he buried his small face deeper into his shoulder. Garrus' eyes looked away from the bundle in his arms to her, dark gaze sad. His mandibles flared slightly before he spoke.

"He's scared, keeps mumbling about monsters."

Jane's brow furrowed. Monsters? None of the children had mentioned monsters before. They hadn't run into any resistance on the way in and Jane could only chalk up that the boys monster was some form of post-traumatic stress. Kal'Reegar shifted slightly from his spot a few paces back as he readjusted a Batarian girl around the age of five into a more comfortable position on his back.

"This one hasn't said anything ma'am. She's been completely silent the whole time."

Jane sighed. She was never going to break that one of the whole ma'am thing. It was too ingrained. How troublesome. Jane caught the flutter of a torn red dress in her peripheral vision before she felt a firm tug at the bend of her elbow.

"There is something," Visanna said quietly, all four eyes trained on her bare feet against the catwalk.

She was the oldest, around twelve Jane would guess, and by the white milky-ness of one eye the girl had been partially blinded. It reminded Jane of that old mechanic Batarian back on that space station, the one she had made that promise to. Jane crouched in front of her, putting her gun away. Visanna had been afraid of their guns.

"What do you mean something?"

"Noises, we hear noises sometimes. It's something big. I could tell by how much noise it made. That's why I hid us in the duct work," Visanna answered, wringing her hands in the hem of her dress.

Jane couldn't help the small smile of approval that came to her face. It was smart, a move that had kept them all alive. Jane went to retort when a deep, booming roar bounced off the facilities walls, sending the hairs on the back of Jane's neck on end. Visanna's eyes grew wide as she grabbed at Jane.

"Whoa," Garrus said as the boy in his arms began to squirm uncontrollably, his breath becoming rages. Garrus tightened his grip on the boy so he wouldn't drop him.

"That's it, that's the monster," Visanna whispered. Jane stood, just as Kal'Reegar stepped up to the rest of them.

"What should we do ma'am?" He asked. The girl on his back looked over the Quarian's shoulder, her eyes filled with utter fear. Jane went to Garrus, grabbed the sniper rifle off his back and quickly checked it for ammo.

"You two stay here with the kids while I go check it out."

"Take this," Garrus said as he grabbed a silencer for his rifle and tossed it to her with the hand he had wrangled free. "Be careful."

Jane nodded at him as she caught the silencer and shoved it into the ammo pouch at her hip. She looked down at Visanna then, the girl looking up at her expectantly.

"Don't let them get into any trouble."

"Okay," The girl replied back. Jane laughed quietly to herself before she headed back the way they had come, the direction the roar had originated from.

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It was quiet once again, the only sound being the heavy footfalls against the catwalk and her steady breathing. Jane slowed into a crouch, listening for any noise coming from ahead of her.

One, one thousand.

Two, one thousand.

Three, one thousand.

Four…

Another roar. Closer than before. She took off at a run, grabbing onto a ladder to get to a higher level. Jane pulled herself up each rung with one arm, her other hand gripping tightly onto Garrus' sniper rifle. Her muscles burned by the time she reached the next catwalk, Jane setting the gun down quietly as she pulled herself up. She stayed in a crouch as she grabbed the rifle, listening once again.

Soft moaning came from two hundred yards to her right, below her position. Jane reached into her ammo pouch, pulled out the silencer and quickly screwed it one before making her way towards the sounds. Heavy shifting came from below, followed by another roar.

Jane made it to the edge of the catwalk, slowly lowering herself to her belly and steadying the sniper rifle against her shoulder before looking through the scope. There were three of them and she had never seen anything like them in all her life. They were huge, slightly blue and seemed to be emitting some type of light from their mouths every time they opened them. Large, bulbous growths were on their backs, making them hunch slightly forward. She reached back for a small compartment just below where she kept her pistol. Her finger pressed a button and a small cylinder fell into her hand.

She brought it forward and looked through the telescope lens. Jane pressed the only small button on the camera five times in rapid succession before putting the camera back in its spot. Then she sighted through the scope of the rifle again, steadied her breath, and then three muffled shots filled the air around her as the creatures fell, dying from bullets shot through their heads.

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The bluff came into view, massive in size and that deep red from the clay that made up most of the planet. Kaidan started up the trail to meet the other teams at the extraction point, Kasumi right beside him and Thane trailing a few steps behind. He could hear the Drell trying to disguise his heavy breathing, the wet rattle just audible over the ruse Thane was trying to project. Kaidan kept his gaze forward as he spoke, his grip on his rifle easing just a fraction.

"He's getting worse," He whispered to the woman beside him.

"Yes, I know. He was coughing his head off back at the wreckage while you were in the cockpit. It about brought him to his knees," Kasumi replied, voice sad, frustrated.

"We need to tell; Jane when we get back to the Normandy. He's a danger to himself and the mission if he stays."

"No. Just give him the opportunity to tell her first. He'll do the right thing."

"How do you know that for sure?" Kaidan asked, finally looking over at her. She smiled slightly at that.

"He's my friend and I trust him."

"You seem awfully trusting for a thief," Kaidan said, a small laugh in his voice that made Kasumi's grin widen.

"I have a good judge of character, makes me know who I can and can't trust."

"Can you trust me?"

Kasumi looked over at him then, her eyes shining out at him from the shadow of her hood.

"I trust you to follow orders."

Kaidan frowned.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked, his voice harsh.

A rustle of rocks sounded off to their right, making all three of them still on the trail. Kaidan's grip on his gun grew firm again as he gave a quick jerk with his head towards the group of rocks off the left side of the trail. They moved as one, pressing themselves against cover before going completely silent. He waited a moment, but all he was met with was silence. Then he heard it, the identification word incase comms went out, yelled up at them.

"Lightning!"

He didn't hesitate in his response.

"Flash!"

He stood then, holstering his gun as he made his way out of cover and back onto the well-worn trail. Jane rose from her hidden spot, quickly followed by a small Batarian girl in a tattered red dress. Garrus appeared next with a small boy in his arms and the Quarian came into view last, another Batarian child latched onto his back with their face buried into the marines shoulder. Kaidan let out a small sigh at the sight of the children. Survivors. He had been afraid that none of them would find any. Jane's eyes scanned over him and his team, her eyes widening and then narrowing just as quickly before she looked back at him.

"Nothing?"

"No survivors…Jane," Kaidan replied, his military etiquette almost showing when he went to call her by rank instead of name. It took effort at times, but he was getting used to it.

"We're lucky we found these three."

"Did you run into any trouble?"

Jane hesitated, her gaze going inward as she fought with whatever it was she was seeing in her head.

"Jane," Garrus said, a gentleness in his voice that had Kaidan raising a brow at his friend. Jane snapped back to attention at the sound of the Turian's voice.

"We ran into something. They were huge…I took some quick pictures before I killed them. I can only assume that there are more of them here."

"Do you have any clue on what they might be?" Kaidan asked, once again pulling his pistol out and holding it at the ready. Jane shook her head.

"No. I've never seen…"

A crackle came over her comlink, making her hand go up and press it firmer in her ear to hear the connection better.

"Jane…trouble…heavy…five survivors…need assis…"

"Sticks. Sticks can you read me. Repeat."

"Wounded…too many…Mir…husks…hu…up!"

Jane quickly pulled her hand away before looking back at Kaidan.

"Take the survivors back to the extraction point. Kal'Reegar will go with you. Garrus and I will go assist the others. I'll call you when we need extraction."

"Jane you need more…"

"Don't argue with me Alenko, just do it!"

She turned then, as if to make off down the side of the bluff. She passed Garrus who was struggling to get the boy in his arms to let go. The boy was crying, his arms tight around Garrus' neck.

"Sappho I have to go. I'll be back," Garrus said, finally prying the boy's arms away from his neck. Kasumi took the opportunity to grab the boy away from him. Sappho's eyes never left Garrus through the whole switch.

"You promise?" He asked, his voice small and filled with tears.

Garrus smiled at the boy before giving him a small nod.

"I promise."

Sappho sniffed, his four eyed gaze going to Jane who was looking back at the scene from over her shoulder. She gave the boy a smile and a wink.

"I'll protect him, don't you worry."

Her words seemed to calm the boy, his arms finally wrapping around Kasumi's neck. Jane's gaze turned sharp as it went to Thane.

"Do we need to have words when we get back?"

"Yes," Thane answered, no longer trying to hide the seriousness of his condition. She nodded and turned, jogging down the trail as fast as she could without tripping, Garrus right behind her.

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Sticks crouched behind cover, the rock barely adequate for his massive body and the two smaller ones that were trying to stay out of the line of fire. The heat of the day pounded down on him as he smashed another heat sink into his rifle.

It had been difficult enough getting the five children out of that cavern and into the light of day. They had been overwhelmed from the very beginning, since they had fought their way to the children, but a well-placed grenade from Sticks' grenade launcher had given them that sliver of time to get out of the cavern and into the tunnels.

They had almost been overrun in the tunnel by what Miranda had said were husks, but they had made it out. Not without incident though, and not without a new enemy joining the fray. They had appeared mere moments after they had cleared the tunnels, huge hulking masses with roars that sent a chill right to Sticks' bones. He had never seen anything like them, and though they looked vaguely similar with the blue light show coursing over their bodies, they seemed more advanced than the human husks. These new bulking masses carried weapons and knew how to use them, a fact that had caught them off guard and lead to the incident.

Sticks stood from cover, sending a volley into the opposition still trickling out from the tunnel opening. Three husks slumped to the ground before he went back to cover, a bullet grazing his shield as he did so. They needed to fall back to a better position, but they didn't have the cover fire to do so, plus with Miranda in the state she was in they would have to leave her without the extra help and Sticks wouldn't do that. He just had to hold them back and wait for Jane. She would come for them. He knew she would.

Miranda was leaning low against a downed tree, her hand holding onto her stomach, the white of her uniform stained red with blood. The woman had been tagged by a bullet when the small girl that was now clinging to the operative's side helplessly had been hit in the leg and fallen. A biotic bubble shielded the two as well as Miranda could make it, but even from Sticks' position he could see the shield starting to thin.

Thack! Thack! Thack!

Bullets slammed into the rock he used as cover, screams coming from the small Batarian children beside him. Sticks crouched down over them, covering their head instinctively as he did so. One of his large hands reached into his grenade pouch and pulled one of the discs out. He stood, chucked it and quickly crouched down before the ground shook with the explosion. He peered around the rock to assess the damage only for his mouth to drop slightly in disgust.

Two of the large creatures were leaning over their dead…eating them.

Cannibals. Disgusting.

He yanked his rifle around and shot the two where they fed before he finally fell back to cover. A fresh round of moans roared over the gunfire making him grit his teeth. The boy closest to the edge of cover peered out before Sticks grabbed him by the back of his blue shirt and yanked him back behind the rock.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sticks exclaimed, his grip still on the boys shirt. The kid's eyes were wide when he answered.

"There are more of them! More husks!"

Sticks cursed to himself as he popped the spent heat sink out of his rifle. It bounced harmlessly off his bent knee before hitting the dirt beside his boot. He let out a long breath as he shoved a new heat sink in.

Where the hell were they all coming from?

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He had been able to hear the gunfire from about two clicks back, their speed gaining as the sound got louder. Garrus smashed himself up against the side of a large rock, quickly falling into last minute checks to his weapon. Full heat sink, scope in place, safety off. Volley after volley echoed off the canyon walls, but they all seemed muted behind the breathing of the woman next to him. She was looking at map of the canyon, the grid rotating orange just above her omni-tool. Her eyes swept back and forth over the map, imprinting everything she could into her memory. He noticed she was good at that, making a solid plan and backup plan before heading into trouble where her brother had no problem going with gut instinct. Plus, John Shepard had never cared for maps.

There was one problem though that Garrus noticed right away when he looked down the map. There was a lot of open space and not much cover, just as it had been on their way to the fight. The odds weren't in their favor, but he couldn't remember the last times that the odds had ever been in his favor.

Just around the bend of the canyon and they would be in the thick of it.

"Stay back and provide oppressing fire. We'll make our way to you," Jane said, the map flickering slightly before disappearing back into the glow of the omni-tool.

"Jane," Garrus said, his voice skeptical. "What if you need help with wounded."

Jane smirked at that, scratching quickly at the base of her neck before her gaze flicked up to his face. Her grin widened, going slightly feral as she showed teeth.

"Then break position and come assist of course."

A stray bullet slammed into their cover and they both ducked quickly, a strangled yelp of surprise coming from the woman beside him. She reached into the pouch at her side and pulled out a small disc, clicking it to the ready position. The grenade ticked to life. With that she took a great breath, stood and rushed from the corner and towards the gunfire. Garrus leaned out and watched her rush them. She stopped suddenly, threw the grenade into an advancing wave of husks before making her way to the nearest cover, a small boulder close to Legion and three small children.

The grenade exploded, sending the husks into pieces. One stumbled from the cloud of dust, clamoring in Jane's direction as she pulled her rifle out of its holster. Garrus sighted his sniper rifle, took a steadying breath, and fired. The husk's head exploded on impact, bits of it raining down on Jane. She wiped at her forehead, wiping away black blood before she wheeled around and shot blindly into the dust.

Garrus sighted down his rifle again as the dust cleared, his heart sinking lower in his chest. One down and a shit load to go.

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Miranda gritted her teeth as she tried to get her body into a more comfortable position. The longer she sat there with her back pressed against the rock, the more she slid down into the dirt. Sweat beaded at her forehead and around her upper lip, her vision darkening as she gazed up at the biotic bubble above her. It was flickering slightly and if she lost it, if it flickered out completely, she would be dead within moments along with the small girl beside her.

Miranda let out a low moan as she pulled her hand away from her side, her glove slick with her blood. The white fabric was red, soaked through and blossoming across her stomach and to the other side. Blood was pooling beneath her and a chill was starting flood through her body. The small girl clutched onto her more tightly as an explosion went off behind them. Moans and roars mixed with the gunfire, and unsettling lullaby for her heavy eyelids.

The Cerberus operative knew that by now the girls grip around her middle should have been painful, but not even the gunshot wound was hurting anymore. Everything was becoming numb and it was completely disconcerting. She had always pictured herself going out differently. She imagined a blaze of glory, not bleeding out in the sand on some back water planet with her biotics failing her along with her strength. Miranda couldn't even pick up her pistol. It just laid there in the sand, blood pooling around it, destroying it. Even with all those enhancements her father had given her had been no help in the end.

Moans became louder around her, Miranda struggling to keep her eyes open as she let her head fall to the side. Her arm wrapped around the girl as the Batarian curled closer into her, screams leaving the youths throat frantically as Miranda's biotics failed, leaving them open for the surrounding enemy.

A husk came into view, its horrid legs filling her vision, and was quickly followed by another and another. The girl was screaming uncontrollably at her side, sobs strangling them in her young throat. Miranda's head turned to the girl, her vision blurring as she hugged the girl closer to her and whispered weakly.

"I'm...sorry."

Blue light flicked from behind her closed eyelids. Miranda struggled to open them, her breath raggedly catching in her lungs. A strong biotic bubble surrounded them and husks were quickly closing in. A blur of color faintly registered to her as it flew through the air and landed in the mass of Husks surrounding her, a flash of biotic blue killing the enemy instantly. Her savior raised his head quickly as he rushed through the bubble and joined her in cover. He slammed back against the rock beside her, sitting firmly in her blood that littered the ground. He pulled his rifle out and quickly popped a new heat sink in before looking over at her.

"You should have…left me," Miranda said as she struggled to pull herself into a more upright position.

He said nothing at first, just stood and faced the enemy. Raw biotic energy built around his body before he threw it outward in a shockwave, following it with a volley of gunfire. He crouched back down and looked over at her, a glint in his purple eyes that she couldn't recognize.

"I can't let my squad captain die. We're in this together. We're _all_ in this together."

The look on his face was fierce and it made her nod her head in agreement. She couldn't give up now, not like this. She had to make sure that the girl made it out alive. Her hand reached out for him shakily, landing on the hard armor protecting his forearm.

"Make sure she…makes it out…" Miranda struggled to say, her teeth gritting with a sudden pain that shot up her side.

"Don't worry we'll get her out," Sticks said, patting her hand gently before pulling it away from him and putting it back on her wound. "Keep pressure on it. You're not dead yet Miranda."

"I've lost a lot of…"

Sticks said nothing as he reached into a small pouch at his side and pulled out a needle and plunged it into her and quickly pulled it out. Miranda let out a gasp as a fire coursed through her body, the needle dropping from his grasp as it went back to his rifle.

"You're not dead yet."

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Garrus aimed and took the shot, his large shoulders rocking with the impact. It hadn't taken him long to abandon his post so far back from the battle. He had seen the dire circumstance Miranda had been in and it had been Sticks who had sent him a look, one that bred an instant understanding between the two. Garrus would guard the kids while Sticks went to Miranda.

"Let me help," a voice said from beside him, the eldest of the kids with him looking up at him defiantly. "I can help."

The Batarian looked to be about twelve and though Garrus had been shooting since before that age, his gut was telling him that the boy who was offering his aid had never held a gun in his life.

"Just stay down kid. We can handle this. If you get shot it will just be more trouble for us."

The boy looked as if he were about to argue, his mouth opening, but it quickly clamped shut as he pulled his hand away and hugged himself deeper into cover. His eyes narrowed at Garrus, but he nodded his head in acceptance. A wind kicked up behind him, drawing the Turian's attention back towards the wider opening of the canyon.

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The first thing that Jack noticed when the loading bay door opened was complete and utter chaos. The second was the inadequate amount of cover from the rest of the squad's position to the shuttle. And the third was the cheerleader bleeding out on the canyon floor.

"Holy shit," Kaidan said from beside her before he started firing into a group of cannibals that were spilling out of the mouth of the tunnel system.

"Hurry up and land this fucking thing!" Jack yelled back at the pilot as she pulled her hand canon from its holster. She looked over her shoulder and towards the cockpit. The three kids Jane had found were getting secured to their seats as Myers started the descent, the quarian fussing over their safety straps.

"Mordin, you and Kal'Reegar stay with the shuttle and provide cover fire!" Kaidan yelled, his voice booming over the rushing wind. "The rest of you fan out and help with the children and any wounded! Kasumi, Jack, you two hit that last bit of cover and lay down suppressing fire!"

Jack nodded silently, the empty space beside her being filled up with Grunt's massive form. A low growl rumbled through his throat before a feral grin broke out on his face.

"I told you there would be enemies," Jack said as she bent her knees and readied for the landing. Grunt's slow laugh spilled from his mouth as he pumped a round into the chamber of his shotgun.

"Yes you did."

The shuttle rocked as it touched ground, the sound of gunfire flooding through the opening in the hull. Child's screams could be heard over the gunfire, making Jack's stomach clench violently for a moment. She let out a breath, the faint hum of her biotics coursing through her body calming her some. Kaidan ran from the shuttle, Kasumi at his heels. They split at the small grouping of rock, the last bit of cover before it was no man's land. Grunt thundered off after them, Jack following without hesitation. She fired into an approaching husk, the things head exploding on impact before dropping to the ground. A bullet whistled by her head as she slid into cover, her boots hitting the rocks before she rolled and positioned her back against them.

Shit. They had better hurry up or none of them where going to fucking make it out of there.

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Jane stood from cover, threw her last grenade and bolted for Legion. He was pinned down, the three Batarian children screaming as they stayed in cover. Dirt flew into the air as the grenade exploded, a piece of shrapnel slamming into her shielding and clamoring to the ground. She came to a crouch a little ways behind them, no room left to press up against the rock. The three children looked out at her, their eyes red from their tears and the smoke drifting around the battlefield.

Legion's head pivoted to look back at her, his facial plates flaring in aggravation as the light swiveled back and forth in his head.

"We need to get out of here," Jane said, a huge shadow spilling over her from behind before the massive form crouched down beside her. She could just make out Grunt's pale skin in her peripheral vision. "You and Grunt start back, protect the kids. Shield them any way you can!"

Grunt stood, firing a round that rocked his shoulders back. He motioned for the eldest of the three, his clothes hanging off his frame. The boy stood quickly and got behind Grunts massive form as he shot off another round. Jane straightened and fired, a Cannibal falling on its face before she crouched down again and popped out her spent heat sink. She grabbed a fresh one and slammed it in as she motioned for the smallest boy to go out with Grunt. The boy didn't hesitate, just flew for cover behind the Krogan.

"Go Grunt, now!" Jane screamed as she stood tall and fired. Grunt turned, using his body to take cover the kids as they all sprinted for the shuttle. She looked to Legion, the geth staring back at her expectantly. He nodded at her and reached for the girl. She struggled against him, screaming and too afraid to move.

Legion finally got her in a bridal hold and stood. Time seemed to slow as he turned, trying to get the girl out of the coming gunfire. He pivoted and a spray of red splashed against his chest as a bullet exited through the front of the girl's neck. Jane stood and screamed at him to run, firing into the mass gathering at the entrance to the tunnel. Legion's grip tightened around the child's limp body as he pressed her against him, one of her lifeless arms swinging at his side as the Geth took off for the shuttle.

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Kaidan came sliding into the biotic bubble just as Sticks slammed in his last heat sink. He stood, fired and got back to cover.

"Jesus," Kaidan whispered as he gazed upon Miranda. She was ghostly pale and her suit was soaked through almost across the whole front.

"We're gonna have to carry these two out," Sticks said as he quickly holstered his gun and reached out for Miranda. "The girl has a gunshot wound to the leg."

"We run fast and hard as soon as we can!" Kaidan responded and he pulled the small girl into his arms. He looked back towards Jack and Kasumi, raising his hand to indicate they were coming.

Kaidan watched as Jack stood, her biotics flowing down her tattooed arms before she let out a shockwave. It hurled towards the oncoming hoard, only to weaken and stagger them.

"What the hell?" Kaidan squeezed out before he ducked his head at a grazing bullet.

"I got it," Stick replied before he stood and sent a ball of energy out that quickly drew many off their feet. Kaidan looked at him questioningly. He had no idea the Turian had biotics.

Sticks reached for Miranda again only to have her try and bat him away.

"Leave me here," She said weakly. He just shook his head as he grabbed her and cradled her against his body as he stood, his biotic bubble following.

"Sorry can't do that," He said with a small glint of a smile before he took off at a dead run for the shuttle, Kaidan on his heels.

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Garrus sighted through his scope, took a steadying breath and fired, his last bullet hitting home and popping the husks head like a melon. He fell back to cover, slipping his sniper rifle into its holster. He grabbed for his shotgun, a last defense if anything got to close.

Jack and Kasumi were still providing suppressing fire from the cluster of rocks three hundred feet behind him, the others back at the shuttle. Garrus looked to his left, catching a glimpse of Jane. She was still crouched behind the rock Legion had been using, cutting through the ranks with the submachine gun she had almost lost back on that space station. His comm cracked to life as a volley of bullets slammed into the rock, muffled screams coming from the kids hugging each other as they slipped lower to the ground.

"Garrus make a break for the shuttle at my signal," Jane's voice demanded, "I'll be right behind you!"

He looked over her and then down at the kids, motioning for them to listen.

"When I say run, you run as fast as you can."

They nodded in unison.

"Jane what's the…"

A succession of explosions went off behind him, Garrus turning just in time to see three cannibals explode as if a grenade had gone off inside them. He turned and yanked the closest child to his feet.

"Run!" Garrus yelled as he stood and fired, the children bolting from their position. He quickly turned to follow, trying to shield them.

Jane gritted her teeth as she blew another husk all to hell, falling back to cover before looking for Garrus. She watched as the smallest one stumbled and fell, bringing the other one down with her. Garrus crouched down in front of them, trying his best to block them as he turned and fired a concussive round into an approaching husk. Jane stood, catching a glimpse of something clamoring out from the tunnel. It looked like a large insect, a bright orange sack hanging off the front of it. Red sight lasers shot out from it and towards Garrus, dancing across his armor.

He pulled the kids into him as he crouched over them to try and protect them. Jane screamed at him as she started to run, her heart beating rapidly in her throat. Her boots dug into the sand, lungs burning as she kept running towards them. They couldn't die…he couldn't die.

Jane came to a staggering stop in front of him and turned towards the beast. The lights sighted on her as she pressed the small button by her N6, thrusting all her energy for her shield out in front of them, a last ditch to save them. Golden light spilled over just before the rocket slammed into the shielding.

Her shield sputtered and then exploded, slamming into Jane and sending her flying backwards, her feet catching on Garrus shoulder. She collided with the ground violently, her head snapping back at the impact. Sound ceased to exist and her vision blurred as she tried to sit up, a shape coming slowly into focus.

"Jane."

The voice was soft, like when he used to tell her stories when she was a child and couldn't sleep. She closed them again and tried to refocus, the shape only becoming clearer.

"Jane."

The shoulder of his armor came into focus first. Grey and curved, that red stripe bold over the white one. It was followed closely by the N7 at his collar, then the stubble on his chin, the small all-knowing smirk of his lips and then his grey eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, eyes burning.

"Johnny?" She questioned as she pulled herself up onto her elbow.

"Get up Jane, they need you."

"Johnny I…"

"Jane get up!"

Garrus was yelling down at her, one of his clawed hands gripping onto the collar of her armor and pulling her to her feet. She staggered for a moment, shook her head and all the sounds of battle came crashing back into her. Two husks rose from the ground before they slammed harshly into each other in midair before crashing back to the ground.

She looked back, Kaidan standing in the shuttle doorway with his gun hanging from the hand at his side as he motioned for them to come with the other. The remaining kids vanished from sight around the hull of the shuttle, quickly followed by Jack, Kasumi lingering in the doorway by Kaidan.

"Come on!" He yelled.

She didn't have to be told twice. Jane rushed for the shuttle, Garrus two steps ahead of her. The clank of her boots hitting the metal flooring of the shuttle seemed to echo through her throbbing skull as she made her way for the cockpit, the others taking positions at the opening and keeping the quickly advancing opposition at bay as long as they could.

"Myers get us the hell out…" She started only to see him slumped forward in his seat, a hole in his temple. Jane tried to maneuver him from his seat any lay him out on the ground. It was harsh and ungracious as her grip slipped and his body flopped to the ground.

"Sticks! I need you up here!"

He appeared in moments, taking in the body before nodding at her and quickly taking the pilots spot.

"Get us the hell out of here!"

"On it," He replied as he started it and quickly began their ascent, the loading bay door closing as they took off for the Normandy.

Jane finally let out a sigh as she leaned against the bulkhead, her head falling forward and resting against her chest. She looked back at her team and the kids, past them and to Legion at the far side of the shuttle. He was crouching down, his back against the hull for support. His face plates were twitching uncontrollably as the light flicked back and forth subtly as if it was looking for something that wasn't there. His arms flexed and tightened as he pulled the small form closer to his chest. The girls head lay lifeless against the red patch of his chest, her arms dangling down by his bent leg. His head bowed then, the light vanishing as it came to rest against the dead girl's forehead, her eyes open and seeing nothing.

"What should we do?" A masculine voice asked from in front of her. Jane looked over and into the brown eyes of Kaidan. She looked back over at Legion before answering.

"Leave him," Jane whispered as her heart clenched in her chest. "Just leave him for now."

A whirling sound started then and filled the shuttle, echoing off the walls. It grew louder for a moment before it became a whispering hum. It was the saddest sound Jane had ever heard.

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Authors note: HARDEST CHAPTER EVER! And the longest.I think that is the lonest action sequence i have ever written. So there it is. I hoped you liked it and sorry if there are a crap load of mistakes. I wanted to get it out asap…and who am I kidding I always have mistakes. Please review! My heart hurts…..


	29. Chapter 28

_She ran down the hallway at a clipped pace, her book bag slapping against her back with every stride she made. Jane was late, real late, and the fact that they were having a guest speaker was going to make her untimely entrance even worse. Nihlus Kryik was at the AMA! Turian spectre and one of the most dashing Turian's the seventeen year old had ever seen. Mind you it had only even been from holovids and news reels, but that didn't matter. He was here in the flesh and come hell or high water she was going to meet him. She had to be cool though, collected. No one wanted to get to know someone that was fawning over them. _

_But now she was late and the wrong impression would undoubtedly be sent. Of all the days to miss her alarm! She had set three of them for crying out loud. Jane rounded the corner, tucking her head to get more speed, but it only obscured her vision and sent her crashing right into someone. Her small body went flying back, landing harshly on the book bag. She let out a grunt of discomfort as she sat up._

"_Hey watch it!" Jane shouted as she looked up at the offender. Her mouth dropped slightly and she felt the blood drain from her face as a pair of cold blue eyes stared back at her, the scar on the left side of his face the most intimidating thing she had ever seen. She scrambled to her feet and threw out a sloppy salute. "Sorry Admiral."_

_Admiral Hackett looked down at her warily, his brow knitted together as if he was trying to place her._

"_You're Shepard's sister," He said, his voice toneless and uninterested. Jane beamed at the recognition._

"_Yes sir."_

"_You're obviously not cut from the same cloth. Your brother would never be late, especially something so important."_

_Jane frowned at him, hatred building inside her scrawny frame as her hands fisted at her sides in defiance. _

"_I'll be just as good a solider as him one day. You can count on it old man."_

_She said it without thinking, his eyes narrowing in anger being the last thing she saw before she took off in a dead run._

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Not much had changed since that day her and Hackett had met; only their hatred for each other had grown. He had seen the constant necessity to compare everything she did to her perfect brother and she saw him as nothing more than a senile old man. And if it wasn't for the fact that she had to debrief, and he had issued the mission, she wouldn't have been speaking to him at all. But there he was in all his holo glory, the same angry eyes looking down on her as she kept herself propped up against the holo table with the palms of her hands.

She hadn't even been able to completely remover her armor before he was demanding her presence in the meeting room. No matter how far away he was and how much she despised him, she still had to follow orders.

"We got eight Sir. Another died on extraction along with Pvt. Myres."

"Did you run into resistance?" Hackett asked, his image flickering lightly before going steady again.

"Yes," Jane replied as she reached into the ammo pouch at her back and pulled out a small chip. She loaded it into the small port on the table. "They were like nothing I have ever seen. I took pictures in hope that maybe someone back at HQ would know what they were."

Hackett fiddled with the console in front of him as he received her photos.

"I'll have them analyzed right away. Anything else to report?"

"Miranda Lawson was injured. Were headed to the Citadel to drop off the children and wounded and some mandatory shore leave."

"Do you think it's the right time for shore leave? The Reapers are coming…"

Jane growled in frustration. No matter what she did, good or bad, Hackett always found something to disapprove of when it came to her.

"Yes it's necessary. The Reapers are coming, there's no stopping that and I want my crew ready to face them head on when that time comes."

He was silent, studying her in that calculating way that always made her furious. She could save the universe and he would still never accept her. Jane would always be nothing but scum living in the shadow of John Shepard when it came to Admiral Hackett.

"I don't like you being in charge of this mission Jane. I don't know what the council was thinking. I would have had you court marshaled a long time ago, but your friends in high places wouldn't allow it."

"What can I say," she said, leveling her eyes at him, "I'm special."

His image flickered, his disapproval of her palpable.

"I will pass on the success of your mission to the Batarian hegemony. It should sway them to join the cause. Hackett out."

His image flickered before going out completely, gone just as fast as he had appeared. Classic Hackett.

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Jane nodded her head continuously as she listened to Dr. Chakwas fill her in on the medical conditions of three of the squad members, one of her hands playing with a set of dog tags. Her eyes scanned the medical bay as she continued to be briefed. The bodies of the little Batarian girl and Myers were taking up two of the medical slabs by the entrance of the A.I. core, their bodies securely placed in black preserve bags until they could get them back to the Citadel. Miranda was out cold and connected to an I.V. as she received her blood transfusion. Thane and Jack were standing slightly in front of Jane and to the left, Thane ramrod straight and pale and jack looking dazed with her arms crossed over her chest.

Miranda had internal bleeding and tearing and would need a visit to Huerta Memorial. Thane had arrived in the last stage of his Kepral's. And Jack…Jane's eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to process the words that Chakwas had just uttered.

"Can you run that by me again please," Jane asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Jack is pregnant, three months actually, and I think that's the reason for the trouble she's been having with her biotics," Dr. Chakwas said nonchalantly as she tapped lightly on her datapad.

Jane's mind reeled at the information, her eyes moving rapidly as she tried to process it all. Three months ago she had been playing C-Sec security and stealing Bailey's coffee while her 'dead' brother was saving the galaxy from the collectors. A flash of a picture on a desk in the Normandy appeared in her mind, making the girl stagger back a step as she realized what exactly Jack being pregnant meant.

"That fucker," Jack muttered as she propped herself up against one of the medical slabs.

Jane's gaze went from Jack's exposed stomach, to her face and then back to the flatness of her stomach again. So she wasn't the last Shepard after all. She had always pictured this going differently in her mind when she had been growing up. Johnny had always been there. She let out a small sigh, Jack's gaze flicking to her instantly.

"You both are off when we get to the Citadel," Jane said suddenly, the words coming out in a tight rush.

"What?" Jack exclaimed as she pushed herself away from the slab. "You can't do this. I can still be useful. I can still fight!"

"Your biotics are useless Jack and I can't let you stay, not in your condition."

"This is bullshit!" Jack continued, her arms unfolding and her hands falling to her sides in fists. "This is our home! Tell her Thane."

Jane looked to the Drell. She expected him to protest against her commands, but he just shook his head.

"She is right. I am in no condition to fight and would only become a hindrance, as will you Jack."

Jack looked at her friend in disbelief.

"But this is your home! It's all we have! You can't take it from us!"

"My word is final. You're both off at the Citadel and that's the end of it," Jane snapped before turning towards the door. She was two steps away when Jack's angry whisper reached her.

"You're doing this because of him, because its Shepard's baby aren't you."

Jane's head ticked to the side as if she meant to look over her shoulder and back at the woman that had now been linked to her by blood. She wanted to look back, but couldn't. Her shoulders slumped forward as she looked at the metal door in front of her.

"I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do," Jane replied before she disappeared through the doorway.

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Garrus sat quietly in the main battery, his elbows resting on his knees and his eyes staring blankly at the console. He let out a heavy sigh, his eyes blinking once before drifting away from the console and to the paneled flooring below his feet. Garrus knew he could be doing calibrations, but for once he couldn't bring himself to do them. Soft breathing could be heard behind where he sat on the built in bench just right of the door. He looked over his shoulder, gaze landing on the small Batarian boy sleeping peacefully in a mess of blankets Garrus had gotten from Dr. Chakwas.

Sappho had refused to leave Garrus' side the moment they had gotten aboard the Normandy, shadowing his every step. He hadn't had the heart to tell the boy to go with the others, and though Garrus would never admit it, it made him feel needed and depended on. It had been a long time since he had felt that way and had missed it.

His eyelids felt heavy and drifted closed with weariness. It seemed like so long since he'd had a proper rest. A scream ripped through his head as a body flying over him flashed behind his lids, making them snap open. She had risked her life for him and he had done nothing to deserve such an act of selflessness from her. The panic he had felt when she had went flying over him and the two children, her head connecting violently with the valley floor, had been crippling.

The door to the main battery slid open with a muted swish, making Garrus abandon his sitting position and rise to his feet. She walked into the room slowly, her feet dragging a little more than usual. By the look of her she hadn't gone to change yet, just her chest plate and greaves were missing, a gray alliance issue tank top covering her torso. Her hair was still stuck to her head and neck with sweat and a smudge of dirt was just covering a forming bruise on her left cheek. Her gaze found him instantly, a small smile coming to her face at the sight of him, one of her small hands coming up as if to protest his movement. He noticed her middle finger taped to her ring and index fingers. Had she broken it during the fall?

"You're tired Garrus, no need to stand," She said as the door closed quietly behind her.

He hesitated for a moment before sitting back down and letting out a small breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. She fell silent after that, her right hand tapping at one of the blue plates of her leg armor. Awkward silence. They always seemed to fall into awkward silence.

"Thank you," Garrus finally said, "for saving me I mean."

Jane furrowed one delicate brow at him before she reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind one of her slightly large ears and shrugged her narrow shoulders. A slight pink coloring came to her cheeks as Garrus continued to stare at her, the commander still failing to make a verbal response. She started to pace for a moment before starting toward him. She kneeled and turned before sitting herself on the ground by Garrus' legs and using the solid bench as a back rest. Jane scooted down after a moment until she could lean her head back and using the top of the bench and the corner of Sappho's blankets as a head rest. A strong jaw formed into a delicate neck and the scar that ran from her bottom lip to her chin was pinker than normal and Garrus couldn't help but wonder how exactly she had gotten it. Her tired eyes drifted towards Garrus, watching him.

"I couldn't let you die," she whispered, her voice sad as if she hadn't succeeded. She cleared her throat suddenly as her eyes cut away. "Plus I made a promise to this guy. He seems to have taking a shining to you."

Jane motioned to Sappho who was still sound asleep.

"Yeah," Garrus said, pausing for a long moment before continuing. "He isn't too bad either. Doesn't want to leave the ship, but I explained to him that it would be safer for him on the Citadel."

Jane smiled softly, though Garrus didn't see it.

"He can wait for his family there," She said.

"He's an orphan. No one for him to wait for," Garrus replied sadly, looking back down at his commander, at someone who knew that kind of pain.

"He has you," Jane said, "You could always adopt him."

Garrus thought it over. Adopt? He had never thought about it before.

"He deserves more than just me," Garrus said, glancing back at the sleeping batarian boy.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind just you. And you have a lot to offer Garrus. Don't sell yourself short."

His brow arched as his voice filled with skepticism.

"And you know these things?"

"No, but I'm starting to," she answered, looking back over at him, head still resting on the bench. "And I bet you could get a girl if you weren't so busy with your calibrations all the time."

"I'm not busy now."

He said it without thinking, an automatic response to her strange confidence. She sat up and turned towards him. For the barest of moments he regretted letting it slip, but as the swell of want grew in him as Jane continued to stare at him, he knew it wasn't a mistake. Garrus was starting to come to terms with the fact that something was drawing him to this human female, his best friends little sister, and it didn't feel wrong in the slightest. He reached out for her, his hand pausing for a breath as a hesitant look came to her eyes. Confliction filled their depths. Something or someone was holding her back. Garrus continued forward as he saw the look slip and his hand grabbed gently at the collar of her tank top, pulling her toward him. She resisted fleetingly before letting herself get pulled to him. His head leaned towards hers, a crack over the intercom stalling him inches from his destination.

"Uh, Jane we have a situation on the A.I. Core."

Garrus wasn't able to stop the low growl that slinked from his throat as he let his hands drop and gazed heatedly at the intercom speaker. He had never been more annoyed with Joker in all the time he had known him than he was in that instant. Jane's face hardened immediately as she pushed herself away and got to her feet, all the vulnerability dissolving in an instant.

"I'm on my way Joker," she replied, not muttering another word as she turned and left the main battery and Garrus stewing in his place.

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Kaidan wasn't exactly sure why he had sought out the Geth, but now he was regretting ever seeking it out. He had obviously said the wrong thing because now the unit was whirling uncontrollably. And pacing…it wouldn't stop pacing. Its face plates flared, the light twitching back and forth in a dizzying frenzy. Kaidan's hand itched as it got closer and closer to where his gun usually sat against his armor. He wished that he could just put the thing down.

The sound of the door opening behind him had Kaidan looking over his shoulder, catching Jane walking into the room. Her face at first was passive, but when she saw the state of the Geth her eyes turned to him in righteous fury.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Jane asked, her tone accusatory. Kaidan sputtered for a moment before answering.

"He asked a question and I answered it."

Jane's gaze slid back to Legion who was still pacing back and forth wildly. The Geth's attention was on the floor as he worried something between the fingers of his Quarian-like hands.

Kaidan's dark eyes narrowed.

"Legion," Jane called out, trying to get his attention, but the Geth continued on whirling and pacing. With a whispered curse she got in Legion's path, Legion turing and stopping when he noticed her there.

"Jane Commander," Legion said, earning a frown from the girl in front of him. He had never called her that before.

"Legion, what's the matter? What did you ask Commander Alenko?"

The Geth was quiet for a moment, his light twitching back and forth a few times before answering.

"This unit asked Alenko Commander…" Legion paused, his face plates flaring as he stayed silent.

"Legion what did you ask him?"

He looked back at her then, her breath catching as he waited for him to answer.

"Does this unit have a soul?"

Kaidan took a hesitant step back when Jane's gaze snapped to him, her whole body turning to face him. She looked lethal at that moment, her eyes turning almost black and every muscle tensing in her body as if she was readying to attack him.

"You said no didn't you?"

Kaidan stumbled over his words before finally answering her.

"Yes that's what I said. It's what I believe. I've never met a Geth that wasn't hooked up to a consensus and hell bent on killing me."

Jane let out a curt laugh and shook her head before her hand snapped out and seized Kaidan by the collar of his uniform shirt.

"How can…how can you say that after what you saw on the shuttle! He was mourning for that little girl. He still is! Look what he has in his hands."

Kaidan looked past Jane and to Legion who now stood still, the only part of him moving being his hands that worried over a long red ribbon.

"That was the Batarian girls. She had it tied around her neck in a bow. Legion didn't want to leave her body so Dr. Chakwas gave it to him as a keepsake, telling him that the girl would always be with him if he kept that ribbon.

He looked back at Jane then, her eyes no longer filled with anger, but with pain. Not for herself, but for Legion.

"Can you tell me that that isn't something someone with a soul does? Can you really say that with Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams' dog tag lying against your own?"

He looked at her in surprise. How the hell did she know that?

"Legion," she called out. Jane didn't look away from Kaidan, but held his gaze. He couldn't help the fidget that came with the shifting of his feet as she continued to hold him against the wall. That stare…it was as if she was looking into his soul and seeing every bad thing he had ever thought or done. He had never felt so ashamed.

"Yes," Legion answered.

"Do you remember that holovid you showed me? The one your Quarian friend left for you?"

"Creator Tali'Zorah?"

"Yes, her. Do you remember what she said?"

"Yes," Legion replied.

"Well every time you doubt yourself or someone makes you doubt yourself remember what she said," Jane replied, finally letting go of her hold on Kaidan and stepping away. "And remember that his human," she continued, "believes you have a soul."

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Sticks played absentmindedly with his food. He hadn't been able to eat much, his appetite waning when he saw Jane exit the main battery. Normally he wouldn't have minded, but he couldn't stop the small stab of jealousy at knowing who was in the main battery.

Garrus Vakarian. Ex C-Sec. Archangel. Rouge. War Hero.

How the hell was he supposed to compete with that? The guy was more than that old Turian spectre she had been in love with.

"Fascinating," A clipped voice said, breaking Sticks' attention away from his food and to the Salarian sitting across the table from him. "Turian biotics rare. Nova, very hard skill to learn. Impressive. No wonder Jane likes you."

Sticks laughed, one of his clawed hands reaching back and scratching at his neck as he shifted slightly in his seat.

"I'm special," he said with a grin, Mordin only staring back at him and blinking once. He missed the sarcasm. Mordin continued to stare at him, making Sticks fidget. Did the guy want more clarification? Is that why he was getting the bug-eyed stare? "My parents taught me. They were both biotics."

"Ah. Two biotic parents. Likely offspring would be biotic as well. Very rare indeed," Mordin rattled off, missing the waving hand of protest Sticks was giving him.

"My_ parents_ were human. I don't know my biological parents."

A muffled thud echoed through the mess hall. It sounded like it had come from the A.I. Core, where Jane had been heading at a reasonable clip. Sticks had the urge to go and investigate, but thought better of it. This was her show and he knew Jane could handle it, whatever _it_ was. She would have said it was his misplaced blind faith in her, but he just knew her better than most.

"Do they agree," Mordin paused for a second, took a sharp breath and continued, "With you fighting the good fight as the humans would say."

Sticks let out a sorrowful laugh as he remembered them, their warm, wonderful smiles they had given him as he left to go fulfill his dreams. His tiny smiled faltered as he looked to the surface of the mess table. It was the last time he ever saw them.

"They would, yeah."

"Would. Past tense. Inflection in voice. No longer with us. How did they die?"

Sticks frowned at the Scientists bluntness. He wasn't surprised though, it was just the way Mordin talked, though it didn't mean Sticks felt like talking about them. It felt too much like bearing his soul and he wasn't good at that. Surface things where fine to discuss and laugh about, cry about, but his parents…that was deep and too personal. He had only discussed them with Jane. She was always the exception to the rule. But as Mordin continued to stare at him in waiting he broke a fraction. Jane trusted Mordin as much as she did him. That had to count for something.

"They were killed by Batarian slavers. I didn't find out until I came back a few months later. The whole town had been destroyed in a raid."

"Guilt. Don't feel guilty. Not your fault."

He laughed again. Man, had he heard that before. The sound of shuffling feet drew his head up only to see a very put out Jane coming their way. Oh good, now he could change the subject. She shuffled over to the table and sat down roughly in the chair next to Mordin, throwing her armored covered legs up onto the table, her boots making a cup sway but not spill.

"Looked troubled. Need to talk?" Mordin asked, blinking once.

"No it's fine, just the same old thing Mordin."

"Males. Egos. Disagreeable positions."

"Yes!" She exclaimed as she threw her head back in frustration. Sticks laughed. He couldn't help himself. Jane looked back at him then, her eyes narrowing. "So what were you guys talking about?"

"Noverian summers," Sticks replied quickly, a breath of relief escaping him when Mordin didn't contradict him.

"Oh secrets between friends, I get it," she teased before continuing. "How are the kids doing?"

"Fine. When I left them Grunt was telling them how he, your brother and Jack killed a thresher maw."

She just nodded her head at that, one of her hands tapping aimlessly on the side of her leg. Her thoughts were elsewhere and by the scrunching of skin between her brows it was focused on something troubling. She needed a distraction or rest…or both. They all fell quiet, comfortable enough with each other to do so even if Sticks thought himself the newbie of their small group. Neither of them made him feel that way. Jane's infectious presence, Mordin's calculated understanding of Jane's need for Sticks, and Sticks' acceptance of the two's history made it seem like they had all know each other forever.

He liked it. It felt like home.

"Thank you," Jane finally whispered, breaking their comfortable silence, "for being here for me. I couldn't do this without you guys."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else Jane," Sticks said, getting a small smile from her.

" Agreed. Best place to be."

He watched as she quickly scratched at her nose, trying to hide the tear that had fallen from her eye. She let out a groan as she shifted in her seat, clearing her throat softly. He smiled. She was always trying to act tough even when she didn't need to.

"I can't wait for it to be over, this war. I'm going on a long vacation after this. A well-deserved one might I add."

"Yes. Going to retire. Somewhere tropical. Collect seashells."

"You mean run tests on seashells," Jane said with a laugh as she turned to her friend, eyes shining with caring.

"Could, yes. So many different kinds."

"That sounds nice actually. Can we come?" Jane asked. She didn't have to clarify who she meant when she said _we_, he knew who she meant.

"Yes. Help run tests." Mordin replied, a smile gracing his face. It was the first smile Sticks had ever seen from the Salarian.

"How about it Sticks, after this war we go help Mordin study seashells. How does that sound?"

She looked to him then, her eyes knowing the answer before he said it.

"Yeah," He said softly, "sounds nice."

They fell into silence again, Jane's head falling back as Sticks gaze landed on the toes of her boots and Mordin went back to examining his datapad. A soft hum filtered through the silence then. He knew that song. She had taught it to him when she had first brought him back to the Citadel. Her voice was soft, tired, but beautiful all the same. Mordin joined in quickly, humming along in a slightly higher pitch. Then Sticks joined, his hum low and from deep within his chest. They stayed that way until Jane's humming broke and became slight snores instead.


	30. Chapter 29

_ Jane couldn't contain her excitement as she waited for the loading bay door to open. Her legs quivered with excitement, knees bending and unbending as she clutched her small duffle bag, with all her belongings, to her person. It was her first time off of Earth, had been her first time on a space shuttle too, and of all places she was at the Citadel, her new home. Jane had dreamt of this day for as far back as she could remember._

_ A stifled snicker had Jane looking to her left. A boy stood there, eighteen years old, his laugh quivering on his thin lips. He was tall, lanky and all elbows and knees. His brown hair shaggy, sticking out every which way as he stood beside her in his worn sweater and jeans, his new military issue duffle slung across his back. She frowned, her narrow gaze boring into the side of his head._

_ "Don't laugh Johnny, you're just as excited," Jane said, clutching her duffle closer to her as people started to crowd around them. _

_ He looked over at her then, grey eyes dancing with excitement. A spackling of freckles covered his nose and just below his eyes, their dark coloring stark against the paler color of his skin. Jane had always been jealous about his freckles. She had wanted them too. It was the only thing that she remembered about their mother._

_ Freckles._

_ "I'm better than you at hiding the fact," Johnny said with a small chuckle, one of his hands reaching out and mussing her hair, making it fall into her face._

_ "Johnny," she whined, only making him chuckle more as he pulled his hand away from her grasp. The hiss of the airlock releasing brought Jane's head snapping towards the opening door. She started forward, but was quickly stopped when Johnny reached out and grabbed her by the hood of her black sweater._

_ "Hold on Jane. A couple more seconds isn't going to hurt you," Johnny said with a small sigh even though he was thoroughly amused._

_ "Then you can wait," she replied before twisting from his grasp and flying out the slowly opening door, turning sideways to slip through the crack._

_ Jane burst out and into the loading dock, skidding to a halt right before she ran into a group of dock workers. She side stepped them and continued, looking around, mouth agape in amazement, before her gaze landed on a creature about one hundred feet away from her._

_ He loomed over everyone that passed him, a scowl on his scarred face. He was huge, larger than she had ever imagined and the dark look in his eye did not damper her curiosity as she started to approach him. He was wearing red and black armor, a white looking skull on the shoulder and a mean looking shotgun just peeking out from behind his hulking form where it lay in its holster at the cradle of his back. Jane knew they were dangerous, but all caution had flown out the window, only her curiosity remained. She had only heard stories and now there was a real, live Krogan standing just a few feet away from her. She had to meet him. It was as simple as that._

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Jane let out a groan as she slipped through the crack of the slow opening loading door of the Normandy, rubbing profusely at her lower jaw. Her eyes scanned the familiar loading bay, the sounds and smell of the place making a sigh of contentment as she continued to rub at her jaw. The Citadel. It was the only place she had ever called home.

"I'm guessing your discussion with Jack didn't go well?" A disembodied voice questioned from beside her.

Jane let out a curt laugh as she let her hand drop to her side and revealed a small red mark where Jack had nailed her with a right hook. Kasumi flickered into view, a wince on her half hidden face.

"Asking her to come out on a girl's night was the wrong thing to do. I got a swift punch in the face. She's still mad about getting kicked from the Normandy." Jane said with a deep frown.

"From my experience Jack gets mad about everything. You did the right thing Jane. She'll get over it," Kasumi replied with a reassuring grin.

Jane let out a grunt at the thief's words, her narrow shoulders rocking as she did so. Pleasing people and making friends had always been hard for Jane and though she knew that if the circumstances were different she would have never had anything to do with the crazy tattooed biotic, but the fact that Jack was carrying the last blood relative Jane had, made her want to do something right by her even if only for selfish reasons.

Heavy footfalls coming up from behind them drew her attention, the solider side stepping the Turian just in time. A chuckle left his lips as he promptly turned and faced them, still walking backwards.

"I never could sneak up on you," Sticks said, his mandibles flaring slightly.

"You sound like a spooked Elcor when you walk around Sticks. I don't think you could sneak up on a deaf Volus counting a pile of credits," Jane replied with a smile. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Gotta go take care of something before I meet back up with the guys, Garrus was pretty particular about the time when he told me about it."

"Garrus invited you? Well wonders never cease," Jane said, a small swell of happiness forming in her chest at her friends words. "Well make sure they all buy you drinks for being all heroic and for them being asses to you before. They got to make up for it sometime."

Sticks laughed as he stopped in front of her, making Jane's stride come to a halt. She looked up at him, brow arching as she crinkled her nose. He leaned down and gave her a kiss to the forehead before patting the top of her head, getting a small whack from Jane.

"Why are you so nice to me Jane Shepard?" Sticks asked.

"Well someone's got to be," she replied before pushing him in his broad chest, making him rock back slightly on his feet. "Now get the hell out of here."

He said nothing as he nodded his head at her, taking one last look before turning and heading for the elevator. Jane let out a sigh as she watched him disappear before turning her attention back to Kasumi who was still standing silently beside her. She had a quirk to her tattooed lips as if she knew something that Jane wasn't aware of.

"What?" Jane asked, furrowing her brow.

"Oh nothing. Shall Gabby and I meet you at The Keep at 1900?" Kasumi asked, a smile in her voice.

"Yeah, sounds good. See you guys then," Jane said before she made a quick exit deeper into the landing docks, waving at workers as she passed them.

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Sappho gripped tightly onto one of Garrus' large claw like fingers as they exited the elevator to the holding docks, his little legs trying to keep up with Garrus' long stride. The boy stumbled as his boot caught on a panel of the flooring and quickly tried to right himself. As Sappho continued to struggle righting himself Garrus gently reached down and scooped him up, placing him on his hip.

Garrus had been informed that some of the Batarian survivors had set up a small refugee camp in the holding docks. The other children had gone earlier, but Garrus had been having an exceedingly getting Sappho to go with them. He could have been stern with the kid, had meant to be, but one pitiful look from the kids eyes had made him take Sappho to lunch instead. Now as they stood right outside the camp Sappho's grip tightened around Garrus' neck.

"I don't want to stay here," Sappho said, his voice nothing but a sad whisper. Garrus laughed lightly as he disentangled the boy's arms from him and set him on the ground, crouching in front of him.

"It's safer for you here. I told you that, remember?" Garrus replied, getting a sad nod from the boy. Sappho started to sniffle and Garrus let out a sigh, mandibles twitching, before one of his hands rested on the small boys shoulder. "After we're done defeating the bad guys I'll come back and get you. How does that sound?"

Sappho's head snapped up, a twinkle of excitement in his eyes.

"You promise?"

"Promise," Garrus said before standing tall. "Now go join the others, and be a good boy Sappho."

The boy just nodded, wiping at his wet eyes harshly, before turning and heading into the camp, stopping only once to turn and wave at Garrus one last time.

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Jack let her duffle drop to the floor beside her booted feet. There wasn't much in it, it being mostly her guns and clothes that Shepard had bought for her at one time or another. When she had asked him why he was buying her clothes his simple reply had been that she only had a few items, but most of the shirts covered up her nakedness, totally not her style. Jack hadn't gotten the real reason at the time, but she knew now. He had wanted to keep her nakedness for himself. She was wearing one now, an old grey N7 shirt she had lifted from one of his drawers in his old cabin before she left the Normandy.

It still smelled like him.

Her eyes scanned the penthouse apartment that was now her own. Sunken living room with black leather couches, a state of the art kitchen she would assume he never used, a large bookshelf with dusty books, and a large bay window that took up the entire wall. She walked over to it slowly, her booted feet ringing out in the silence. Jack came to a stop just inches from the glass, not a sound escaping her when she caught sight of the view. From the tenth floor of the complex she could see the whole Presidium, but the most eye catching view, the reason Jack knew Shepard picked the apartment, was the view of the Presidium Lake. It looked like it was filled with diamonds.

"She's trying to do right by you, giving you this place," Thane said, his raspy voice echoing behind her.

Jack stayed silent, brown eyes narrowing as she continued to watch the artificial sun dance across the lake. Thane appeared beside her, arms hanging by his side as he looked over at her tenderly before looking out the bay window.

"She shouldn't have to be forgiven for what she has done. It's safer for the both of you," he continued.

Jack sighed in frustration as she looked away from the lake and to her friend. His coloring had come back a little, the raggedness to his breathing not as pronounced. It was a good day.

"Why do you have to be right all the fucking time?"

Thane smiled, a small smiled that ate away at her anger.

"Not all the time Jack," Thane said, "just when it comes to you."

She snorted, shaking her head slightly as she looked away from him. Sarcasm, it was something Jack never thought she would hear from him.

"Yeah, yeah," Jack started. She paused for a moment, clearing her throat before she took a sidelong glance at her friend. "So are you going to stay with me in this big ass place or what?"

"If you will allow it."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to. The alone thing is so…well you know.

Thane let out a low chuckle. "Yes, I know."

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Kaidan sat patiently at the small food stand, absentmindedly twirling a straw between his calloused fingers. His bored gaze landed on his Canadian ale, half drank and condensation beads running down the glass. He hadn't been waiting for long, hell it had actually been fifteen minutes, but waiting was usually what he got when he arrived earlier than he was supposed to. And Kaidan was always early, always had been. Growing up his father had told him constantly that the early bird got the worm and it just sort of stuck. Kaidan had been eight the first time his father had told him that and even after all these years of arriving early he still wasn't sure what the worm was.

Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention. She was approaching him at a steady pace, a small smile playing on her tattooed lips. She had removed her hood and her jet black hair was in that braid he had seen back on Virmire. He felt a goofy smile come to his face and quickly squashed it before waving at her as if she hadn't already seen him. She was wearing a black and red suit that matched her others, skin tight and showing every curve of her petite body. She slid onto the stool beside him with ease, her dark gaze pinning him in his spot. He swallowed roughly as he tried to squelch that stupid grin from coming to his face again. When the hell had he become so nervous around the thief?

"I feel like I should be saying that I'm sorry for being late, but you were just early. Is this a thing with you Kaidan or were you early just for me?" Kasumi teased, gaze never wavering from him. Neither did the sly smirk on her face.

"It's uh…it's just a thing. Been early to everything since I was eight," Kaidan said with a laugh as he scratched at the base of his neck. He quickly pulled his hand away. What the hell was he doing?

"You sure know how to make a girl feel special Kaidan," Kasumi said with a laugh as she reached out for the menu sitting idly on the counter.

He sighed, a tick of a smile coming to his face as he reached for his own menu. She was back to calling him Kaidan. Good. He didn't like it when she called him Alenko. He shifted in his seat, opened the menu and promptly cleared his throat. He wanted to kick himself. He had no idea what was wrong with him. Well he did, but he just didn't want to say it. It just seemed like the worst time for something like this to be happening. But the silence between them was driving him mad, the foreign music wafting from the speakers of the stand only making it worse. Kasumi seemed completely relaxed as she sat beside him, eyes on the menu, but he…

"I was surprised when you asked me to meet you for dinner," Kaidan finally said, glad to break the silence that had fallen between them.

"I'm surprised at your surprise. I thought you would have figured it out. I wasn't trying to hide it. I find you interesting and you're not bad on the eyes either."

Kaidan laughed at that, feeling a blush threatening to rise from the collar of his shirt. He had noticed her interest in him a while back, but he had just thought she was curious about all the new crew members. But when he really thought about it Kasumi didn't observe Sticks as much as she did him. He cleared his throat once more and turned his attention back to the menu.

"What is this stuff?" He finally asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Kasumi laughed delicately at him before answering.

"It's ramen. Haven't you had ramen before?"

"I'm more of a steak sandwich kind of guy," he replied, getting a sparkle of amusement to form in Kaumi's dark gaze.

"Well next time we'll have steak sandwiches, you're treat of course."

Kaidan finally let the goofy grim come to his face, mouth opening wide in a smile that Shepard once told him only his mother could love. Then he nodded his head in agreement.

"Sounds like an excellent idea."

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Miranda groaned as her body started to awaken. She hurt all over as if she had been hit by a runaway Mako. She had felt that kind of pain before, so all encompassing that it felt like her cells hurt. Her eyelids protested as she tried to open them, fluttering wildly as one of her hands searched for the button that would provide her with the temporary relief that she needed. A large, rough hand stilled her own as a chill ran through her veins, chasing the pain away until it was just an uncomfortable throb. Finally her eyes opened, vision fuzzy as she made out a shape in the fog. It was large, but not aggressive and leaned casually back in what she could only assume was a chair. When her vision finally focused the first thing she saw was a pair of kind purple eyes staring back at her.

"What are you doing here?" Miranda asked, voice brittle as she fought off the sleep.

"Well I went through all that trouble saving you I had to come see how you were," Sticks replied.

"I told you to leave me."

"You humans must be rubbing off on me."

Miranda laughed weakly, a whisper of a smile coming to her dry lips. "Clearly. How long have you been here?"

Sticks crouched down deeper into his seat, getting comfortable. "Twenty minutes maybe. Ran into Jane on my way in. Told her that I was visiting a friend named Apples."

"Did she believe you?" Miranda asked as she pushed herself into a more prone position. She hated being flat on her back, made her feel too vulnerable. Sticks let out a low laugh from deep within his chest.

"No."

Miranda fell silent and observed. Sticks had that look about him again, the one he got whenever Jane Shepard was brought into a conversation. It was a faraway hopeless look that walked that fine line between joy and despair. Miranda knew that line intimately. She shifted again, the scratchy fabric of the hospital sheet, hospital gown bunched up high on her thighs. She had thought there had been something between them when she had caught them in an intimate moment in Mordin's lab, but the more she was around them the more she saw it as an unbreakable friendship that was rooted deep within their souls. Miranda envied them for that. But she still hadn't been blinded to that sad one sided love that was something else she was too familiar with.

"You love her don't you?" Miranda said suddenly, grabbing Stick's attention. His smile melted from his face as he grew serious.

"Yes," he answered.

"Then why don't you tell her?"

"Because she's more important to me than that," Sticks answered immediately. There was no reservation in his voice, just pure and simple truth.

"How did you meet her?"

Sticks stood from his chair, stretched and walked over to the large window that over looked the Presidium. He could see the lake from there, glistening as if it were made from a thousand diamonds. His mandibles flared, something they seemed to do when he was nervous, or agitated, or angry…or amused. At the moment he couldn't tell exactly why they had done so. Meeting Jane and coming to the Citadel was one of the best things that had ever happened in his life.

"What's with the sudden curiosity?"

"I just wanted to know about you. One tends to get curious about the one that saves them," Miranda answered as serious as she always was. He eyed her for a moment, body half turned so he could see her. He waited a moment longer before letting out a sigh and heading for her bed, Miranda moving her legs just in time as he set himself down unceremoniously on the edge, his back to her.

"I met her after my parents died. With nothing for me at home but pain I left. I did any job I could, which ended up being mercenary work. Mercenary at the ripe age of fifteen," Sticks said with a bitter laugh.

"At that age you should have been accepted as part of the Turian military," Miranda stated. All turians that went into service went at fifteen.

"I tried that, it was the reason I left home in the first time, but they wouldn't accept me," Sticks paused for a moment, shaking fuzzy thoughts from his head before continuing. "I ended up on Omega and started doing odd jobs there for anyone that would pay me. I didn't care what the job was, just as long as I could eat. Anyway a job went south on me and I was in the shit with a couple of Blue Suns."

"The Blue Suns? There one of the worst things on that station," Miranda interjected into his moment of silence.

"Yeah and I knew that, but I needed the money," Sticks replied. He turned towards her then, one of his legs coming halfway onto the small bed for a rest. Amusement had come to his eyes. "So there I was, about to get two between the eyes when this woman comes stumbling into the place. She was loud, abrasive, caused a huge scene. One went to remove her and she flipped a lid. She had them downed in about one minute while all I did was watch."

"How many were there?"

"Three and when she was done it was three less Blue Suns to cause trouble. She bought me dinner after that, said she was there for vacation, which made me think she was crazy. I felt like I had known her forever and after I told her how I got there she told me to come back to the Citadel, that she would set me up with a job and everything. She smiled at me. I couldn't refuse," Sticks finished.

"The look you get on your face when you talk about her… you make her sound perfect."

Sticks laughed, head falling back as the noise rose from deep within his chest. His head fell forward again, an exaggerated sigh escaping him as he shook his head. "She's not perfect Miranda," He replied as one of his hands reached out and grabbed a small group of grey hair in her long bangs, rubbing them gently between his fingers. "None of us are, just a bunch of broken things trying to get by."

Miranda was still, her gaze locked on him intently. He was nothing like she had thought. He blinked rapidly, dropping her hair as he pulled his hand back and stood from the bed.

"Well I gotta go meet the guys. Get better so you can get back to the Normandy. I can't go to long without my team leader," he said, giving her a smile and wink before he quickly exited the room, not giving Miranda the opportunity to say the thank you that was hanging on her lips.

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"You want me to watch this Jack person?" Roanin asked, big eyes blinking as he looked across the engine of the taxi he was working on.

"And Thane…well more like look out for them incase there's trouble. You still got keys to the Bird right?"

"Yes, yes," Roanin said as he started back at the engine, hands covered in old oil and grease. It had stained his beige skin a long time ago, but he didn't mind. Salarian mechanics on the Citadel were rare. It made him feel special.

Jane leaned against the taxi, arms crossed over her chest. She had filled out more since they had met all those years ago, hell they had both been nothing but knees and elbows with heads filled with nothing but clouds and dreams…and mischief.

"I still can't believe you gave her the penthouse. It's ten times better than that dump you call home."

"Hey I love that dump," Jane said going on the defensive just like he knew she would. "Besides I could never stay there, you know that. Hey you remember that one time we broke in and drank all of Johnny's Skyllian Ale?!"

Roanin looked up at her then, putting his wrench down on top of the battery core. "We didn't break in, you had the key."

"Details, details," Jane replied, waving off his accurate account of the incident. It hadn't been the only time they had gone in there and drank his stock of liquor. John Shepard was never there.

"You were never any good at recounting things," Roanin mumbled before he reached down into the engine compartment, his attention back on his task.

Jane let out a small chuckle as she watched her friend. She had met him not long after she had enrolled in the AMA, Roanin being the first friend she made outside of the academy. Jane got him into more trouble than she could remember, but she knew Roanin remembered all of it. He had a photographic memory and an extreme attention to detail. She wasn't quite sure if it was a Salarian thing or just a Roanin thing.

"So is that pushy Turian with the face still causing you trouble?" Roanin asked her, snapping Jane back to attention. She looked at him strangely for a moment before the question clicked. Garrus had pushed Roanin into a table once and she had pulled her gun on him. She laughed lightly. That seemed like such a long time ago.

"Yeah he's still giving me trouble," she replied, a tiny blush coming to her neck when she thought back to the scene in the main battery before Joker had interrupted them. "He isn't all that bad though. What about you? Your mom still hounding you about that mating contract?"

"Yes and she is becoming increasingly more difficult about it," Roanin grunted as he pulled the old fuel filter from the engine compartment and grabbed for the new one sitting on the top of his open tool box.

"Why don't you just tell her you like boys?" Jane exasperated, pushing herself away from the taxi and resting her hand on her hips. Roanin jerked in surprise, the fuel filter dropping to the bottom of the engine compartment with a clatter.

"I can't tell her that," he stammered, "and neither can you!"

"What…why would I tell your mother? She hates me. Besides I like you and Romulus together."

Roanin narrowed his eyes at her, hating it when she teased. She knew his name. he had worked with her at C-Sec.

"His name is Rory."

"Rory? What kind of name is that for a Turian anyway?"

"He was named after the Last Centurion. I'm surprised you don't know that story, it's famous among your people."

"I think you made that up," Jane said, making him grit his teeth in frustration. She laughed. He looked so completely harmless when he was angry. "Anyway I gotta go and meet some of the girls for drinks."

"Stay away from the Turian Ale."

'Come on now, that's my favorite," she grew quiet, the playful smile falling from her face. "Just watch out for them, okay, Jack and Thane. There are two batarian orphan kids at the holding docks also. Watch out for them too. Vivi and Sappho. Go visit them or something, you'll like them. Promise?"

"I'll watch out for them, don't worry," Roanin said, his anger dissolving instantly at her tone.

"Right, well gotta go," she said, suddenly taking off in a hurry. "Bye!"

Jane just caught his dismissive wave before she made it to the elevator, pushing the button for the Zakara Wards.

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Jane sauntered into the small café, the sweet smell of coffee and grilled meats assaulting her senses. It was a little place called the Keep, one of her favorite places on the Citadel. Her stomach grumbled loudly as she walked further into the place, scanning the patrons until she saw Gabby waving frantically at her. Her stomach rumbled again as she trudged on. Man was she hungry. The last time she had eaten anything had been at breakfast and that had been over twelve hours ago.

Jane slid onto the empty stool and promptly hailed for a waiter to come take her order. She knew exactly what she wanted; grilled ham and cheese with a Canadian Ale and a side of fries. Jane ordered it every time she was at the Keep. Kasumi ordered a Serrice brandy while Gabby ordered red wine.

Two hours, one sandwich, some fries and six beers later Jane was rolling with laughter at Gabby's impression of Donnelly.

"Can it wait a bit, I'm in the middle of some calibrations," Jane said, trying to imitate Garrus, but failing miserably by laughing half way through. "Is he always so serious?"

"Not always," Kasumi said with a small smile as she repressed her laugh. "You just have to get past that hard exterior. He can be quite witty actually."

'A witty Turian, huh?" Jane said, a contemplative look coming to her face. She had met a witty Turian or two.

"Come now Jane, with all your experience with turian's you've met a few witty ones, kissed a few from what I hear. What's it like?" Kasumi asked, leaning closer to Jane in anticipation.

"You've never kissed a Turian before?" Jane asked in surprise. Kasumi shook her head no before Jane's attention snapped to Gabby. "Have you?"

"No," she answered, "I was always afraid they would bite my lips off."

Jane let out a small chuckle before she let her eyes drift closed, getting lost in nights past. She remembered rough, light brown skin, sporadically covered by dark brown exoskeleton and white tribal markings on a face with compassionately calculated green eyes. The scar at her lip began to pulse, reminding her of that night he had finally marked her as his and his alone. It had taken long enough, but the wait and the pain had been worth it even if it lasted for such a short amount of time.

"It's more like nuzzling really, caressing their face against your own. It's a very intimate thing. But they can do wondrous things with their tongues."

Kasumi laughed when a sharp intake of breath came from Gabby, the engineer sounding scandalized and the deep blush to her cheeks making her seem almost virginal. Jane smiled heartily as her gaze wandered to the clock over the long kitchen window of the café. 9:00pm. Her smile widened into something mischevious.

"I say we shake this place and go elsewhere. I know the perfect place to snag us free drinks and a whole lot of attention."

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Music vibrated through Chora's Den, Asari dancers decorating the place with a flare that Garrus Vakarian had no taste for. It was the same dump it had always been, but Joker had convinced them all that they came because it just happened to be amateur strip night. More half naked girls dancing? No one had been able to say no to the pilot's enthusiasm and at one degree or another all of them were down to see a little skin.

They got a table a ways back and to the right of the makeshift stage that had been set up, the bar no longer in the center of the space. Kaidan sat to the right of him, looking pleased beyond reason about something that had happened earlier in the day. He had tried to question his friend about it, but Kaidan was light on the details. Sticks sat to his left, drinking at his third ale of the night. They hadn't been able to go two feet in the place without someone say hi to Sticks or giving him pats on the shoulder. Then Joker was to the right of Sticks, eager and looking as pleased as Garrus had ever seen him.

"Guys this is supposed to be the best amateur competition on the Citadel. They give the winner three thousand credits!" Joker exclaimed as Donnelly approached their table, sitting down at the last open seat beside Kaidan. "The last winner was some human. Actually she won the last two times."

"Doesn't sound like an amateur to me," Kaidan piped up from his seat. A small chuckle came from Sticks, but h quickly snuffed it when Garrus turned to look at him.

"You know her or something?" Garrus asked. He wouldn't be surprised if he did. Sticks seemed in his element in the place.

"In a sense," was all he said before he took another pull from his drink, mandibles flaring.

Garrus went to respond, but the lights dimmed and spotlights found their way to the stage, Joker letting out of whoop of excitement as he adjusted himself in his seat. Amateurs, what exactly could they expect from them. The first two Asari weren't bad, but were not good either. Then it seemed like they all bled together, mostly Asari and a spattering of humans every now and again. And though Garrus hadn't been impressed with any of them, he couldn't deny the fact that he was enjoying himself.

A grizzled Turian came out to announce the last performer, one of his hands coming up to quite the crowd. Mercenary and military types always did get rowdy when there was alcohol and naked women involved.

"As tradition last competition's winner goes last and do we have a treat for you she's here!" He said, a deafening roar coming from the crowd. Laughter ripped from Sticks as he threw his head back, one of his hands slamming down on their table and rattling their drinks. "And here she is. Phoenix!"

"What…" Garrus started, his attention on the squad mate next to him. The music started, blaring through the place.

"Oh my God," Kaidan's voice rang out in disbelief, drawing Garrus' attention from Sticks to Kaidan, but the look he had on his face made Garrus look to the stage. And there she was in a black skin tight piece with a zipper down the center. She was a court martial waiting to happen, but when Jane grabbed at that pole all thought of military discipline and protocol went straight out the window.

She slid down the pole like she had done it a thousand times, hand going for the zipper. Roars filled the room as she started to pull it downwards, knees bending as she dropped, rolling herself back up sensually and showing off her supportive backside. Suddenly it was hot, real hot. Garrus had never felt so vulnerable in his armor. Then the zipper was down to her breasts, just showing her cleavage as she pulled at the shoulder of the suit.

Suddenly another person materialized beside her in a matching red cat suit and beside him Kaidan began to faintly glow. Then the woman disappeared again, only to show up second later pulling down on the shoulder of her own suit. All his attention was on Jane as she did a quick handstand and grabbed the pole with her legs, wrapping them around it, her brown hair cascading downward. Whistles roared through the place as she reached up and grabbed the pole with her calloused hands and slid down it again expertly, slipping both her arms from the suit and revealing her breasts covered in a camouflage bikini top, the suit pooling around her hips, just starting to show the curve of skin there. His mandibles flared in appreciation as he continued to watch, his body heating up substantially. This girl, his commander, had _very_ supportive hips and he couldn't stop the thought of testing out all that flexibility.

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Jane yawned as she made her way towards the bridge, coffee in hand and bare feet slapping against the cold paneling as she made her way. Man, she had kicked ass at Chora's Den and Kasumi helping her out and pushed the act over the top. The thief was a genius, fazing in and out like she was, being a little more undressed every time. They had bought the place drinks with the winnings, getting them more admiration than they had already been getting. She just wished Gabby would have done it with them, but she would never push her into doing something she didn't want to.

Jane smiled as she took a quick sip of her coffee, the steam rolling up into her face and chasing the small headache away with every sip she took. She stepped onto the bridge to find Joker and Garrus sharing whispered jokes, their conversation coming to a halt when they saw her. Joker smiled up at her with a goofy grin while Garrus leaned against the console, his mandibles flaring as he looked her over.

"Morning boys, did you do anything fun last night?" She asked as she scratched at her hair. Garrus chuckled while Joker answered.

"Oh yeah! We went and saw this great show starring a Phoenix. And after that she bought everyone drinks. Best time I ever had in Chora's Den."

Jane felt herself pale slightly, taking a sip from her drink. They had seen the show; well at least it wasn't full nude this time. That would have been embarrassing.

"I heard she's quite the dancer," Jane said plainly, making herself look bored.

"She had my friend here all hot and bothered. I thought he was going to start drooling all over the place," Joker added as Garrus pushed himself away from the console, passing his friend a narrowed look as he made his way toward Jane.

"Are you really that flexible?" He asked, his eyes hungry, mandibles flaring. His reaction emboldened her. She smirked over the rim of her cup.

"Only way to know is to test it out."

Garrus laughed before pegging her with a glance.

"I just might."

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He waited patiently in the docking tube, the airlock door opening slowly. His service bag was slung over his shoulder, boots as shiny as they first day he had got them. He had gotten new station details, to replace a KIA shuttle pilot on a starship. He cleared his throat as he finally stepped through the doorway, his standard issue boots making their first contact with the floor of the Normandy. He smiled in satisfaction to himself. To serve on the Normandy was a great honor and Steve Cortez meant to make every minute of his time count.

Steve made his way toward the bridge, heavy footfalls echoing off the walls. He had been honored to get the detail and serve under the new commander of the ship. Jane Shepard; loan survivor of Akuze, seasoned soldier and she had more experience working with other alliance species than most soldiers got in their whole career. He made it to the bridge quickly, his gaze landing on a girl in a pair of sleep shorts and a flimsy tank-top, her brown hair a mess around her shoulders and a cup of coffee in her hand. She was talking to a Turian and he just caught a snippet of their conversation before she turned to him. He dropped his bag immediately and saluted her.

"Lieutenant Steve Cortez reporting for duty ma'am."

She waved him off, took a sip of her coffee and spoke. "Please just call me Jane. Ma'am makes me feel old. So you're the new shuttle pilot. Heard a lot about you. Glad to have you on the team."

"Thank you ma….Jane," Steve said, quickly correcting himself.

Static broke out behind them, the viewing screen over the pilot console popping to life with the latest newsfeed. They all turned to watch. It was chaos, massive ships firing on familiar buildings, people running and screaming for shelter as creatures from nightmares chased after them.

He heard a shatter and looked, the commanders coffee cup in pieces at her bare feet.


	31. Chapter 30

**Priority: Eden Prime I**

The sound of the shattering ceramic mug went unnoticed, the screams of terror the only thing registering to Jane as her eyes stayed transfixed on the holo screen. Her face paled as a dull quickening formed in her chest. There were billions of people on that planet, a place she hadn't called home in a long time, but there was only one her mind went to when the violence from the broadcast continued to sear into her brain. Only one name echoed.

Anderson.

Jane began to back pedal, stepping on the broken shards of the mug, the pain too going unnoticed. Her eyes flickered to Garrus for a moment, the Turian watching her intently. He looked as spooked as she felt. Jane turned and ran towards the communications room.

"Hackett's on the line for you!" Joker yelled. They barely heard her yell to patch it through before the Tech Lab doors closed behind her. "It's not just Earth. Reports are coming in from almost everywhere," Joker continued, only despair left in his usual sarcastic tone. "Palaven, Thessia…their even saying there's been sightings on Tuchanka."

Garrus said nothing, only listened to his friends nervous ranting as his mind drifted to his family, to Palaven. His gaze dropped from its fixation on the Tech Lab doors to the floor only to spot a small smearing of blood by the busted cup.

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Jane burst into the comm room, her hands just gripping the rail as Hackett flickered into view. He was the quintessential picture of a true Alliance soldier in his dress blues and she was a mess, something that didn't go unnoticed to the Admiral.

"Tell me you've heard from him," Jane said, voice squeezed tight with horrid anticipation.

"I see you've heard the news," Hackett responded, ignoring her inquiry altogether. Jane gritted her teeth and gripped the railing tighter.

"Admiral, have you…"

"We have a mission that's top priority for you and your team."

"Admiral, please…"

"A Doctor T'Soni has been excavating a Prothean artifact…."

Jane fumed, face red with anger as she slammed her palms down on the railing, cutting the commanding officer off with her rage. "Hackett, please tell me! Is Anderson alive?!"

Jane's eyes panned back and forth frantically over the silent Hackett, his normal frown deeper and more pronounced as he looked down at her. She let out a small, strangled breath as she looked away from him, arms falling to her sides. "Please."

"Councilor Anderson is alive and the last we heard from him he was rallying survivors for a defensive line. He's fighting, just like he expects you to be doing."

Jane's jaw tightened and flinched, shoulders straightening as her eyes narrowed as she looked back to him.

"What would you have me do?"

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"I told you not to follow me," Jane grumbled as she made her way out of the medical bay with Garrus by her side. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"I had this feeling that if I didn't make you go see Dr. Chakwas you would still be in the comm room with your foot bleeding all over the floor."

Jane's brow rose. "Have you been talking to Sticks?"

"No," he said with a small laugh, "just an observation."

They quietly entered the elevator, Jane hitting the bridge button as the doors shut behind them. Her limp was barely noticeable, a fact Garrus chalked up to years of experience dealing with and hiding pain. He wasn't a stranger to that skill. Years of service and injury would do that to a soldier. Plus, a cut to the bottom of the foot was nothing compared next to being beat senseless by a Krogan. Garrus went to speak, but stopped himself. He wanted to say something, anything, but everything that came to the front of his mind was sarcastic. He wasn't quite sure how Jane would take sarcasm at a time like this. Uncertainty, Spirits he hated it.

"You know people might talk, you showing up with me in the state of undress I'm in," Jane said suddenly. He looked down at her, her eyes still fixated on the elevator doors.

"Let them talk. Who knows, maybe soon it won't be just talk," Garrus replied. She looked up at him then, eyes smoky as she smirked.

"If you're lucky."

The door binged open and Garrus laughed.

"If I'm lucky," he said as he followed her off the elevator.

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All eyes were on her when they entered the comm room, only Sticks glancing at Garrus before going back to her. They had all known that at one point their mission would come to this, the arrival of the Reapers. They had known what they signed on for, but even though every single one of them had experience with the impossible the only non-pale face in the room was Legion. But here they were, standing in the eye of an unfathomable danger. Jane couldn't stop the swell of pride in her chest from growing as she made her way to the comm table.

"I know you have all heard the news," Jane started, her eyes scanning over her team. "I've been in contact with Admiral Hackett and he has a mission for us. Edi, can you bring up the schematic?"

"Yes Jane," Edi replied, a blue schematic of a large cluster of buildings popping up with three red blinking lights spread out over the map.

"A Doctor T'Soni and her marine escort were on Eden Prime researching another Prothean artifact. They haven't been heard from for seventy-two hours." Jane paused as she typed into the comm table and zoomed in on the schematic. "Now these three lights are the only signals coming out of the whole compound. We'll split up into teams of three. Mordin, Grunt and Kal you'll be going for the signal on the right corner of the compound while Kasumi, Legion and I got to the signal on the left. Kaidan, Sticks and Garrus you go check out the signal at the center of the compound. We'll rendezvous back at the LZ when we've found the doctor and the artifact. Just stay in radio contact. Do not deviate from the mission. We have to be in and out as soon as possible, Reaper presence was detected in that sector. So, any questions?"

"Did you say Dr. T'Soni? As in Liara T'Soni?" Kaidan asked, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Yeah, that's right. You know her?"

He looked at Garrus, their eyes meeting as he did so. "She's an old friend of ours…and your brothers."

Jane's brow quirked before she messed with the comm table again, loading the schematic of the compound to everyone's omni-tool.

"Isn't everyone," Jane whispered distractedly before her voice went serious again. "Now everyone gear up, we'll be in orbit in an hour."

With that she turned and headed out of the room, her wrapped foot slamming down loudly with every step she took. Garrus watched her start to leave, her stride slowing when she reached the door. Her head turned slightly, glancing over her shoulder and back at her squad.

"I know we're all heavy hearted and worried about our homes, but we have to just keep our heads in the game and soldier on. People are counting on us. We can't fail them."

She turned back around, shoulders hunched forward, and disappeared through the door.

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Kaidan stood just inside the door of the shuttle, one hand grasping onto a stabilizer handle as the small shuttle broke atmosphere. Eden Prime. He hadn't been back to this place since the day him and Shepard had picked up Ashley. A lot of things had happened that day; his first encounter with husks, Jenkins, Shepard getting zapped by that Prothean beacon, and the death of Nihlus.

Kaidan couldn't keep his gaze from drifting to Jane who was standing beside him, feet planted and knees bent slightly to keep her balance as she checked over her assault rifle. Her jaw twitched lightly as she gritted her teeth. It was obvious that she was checking her gun with muscle memory, her mind else ware.

He had started to wonder if the Turian Spectre from her past was actually….

Her eyes snapped to him, feeling the weight of Kaidan's gaze. She smiled at him then, a smirky shit-eating grin that seemed to be filled with ferocious anticipation. He'd seen the ghost of that smile one, on Shepard, but where Shepard's was kind, Jane's was just intimidating and if he really wanted to be honest, slightly psychotic.

"Coming up on the drop zone Ma'am," Cortez called from the pilot seat. Jane let out a sigh before putting her gun in the holster on her back and reaching for a stabilizing handle as she looked over at Cortez.

"I told you not to call me that Steve. I hate when people call me that…makes me feel old."

"Well it's sticking Ma'am. Just think of it as a pet name."

Jane was quiet for a moment before she let out a small snort. "Okay fine. But only because you're cute."

Jane fell silent for a moment; thinking, planning, trying desperately to push away that swell of doubt that built up in her chest right before she reached her drop zone. She sensed a presence behind her right before she felt a burst of warm air creep into her hair. She looked over her shoulder to see Sticks staring down at her, a kind look in his purple eyes.

"Don't be so tense Jane," Sticks said quietly. She went to protest, but he quickly cut her off. "I saw the smile you gave Kaidan. That was your 'trying to play it cool' smile."

Jane frowned before her eyes flicked to Kaidan and then back to Sticks. Kaidan might have avoided her gaze, but she knew he could hear everything Sticks was saying. Proximity wouldn't allow otherwise.

"Something seems off," Jane started. "Doesn't feel right, you know?"

"It's probably just the jitters from all the news that we got. We all feel on edge."

Jane nodded her head, biting at her bottom lip as her brow furrowed. "Well just be careful, extra vigilant or whatever…same with you Kaidan."

Kaidan just nodded in response as he looked over at the two beside him. Jane gave him a weak smile before she cleared her throat and nudged Sticks to the side of her.

"Alright everyone it's a straight forward mission. Get the packages and radio in. there's no time limit, but let's make it quick. Reapers have been spotted in this sector. Stay alert and to the task. Do not lose radio contact."

"Uh, Ma'am," Cortez called out, his voice choked as he rounded the shuttle as he landed.

Jane looked over at him sharply, going on alert at the sound in his voice. "What is it?"

He said nothing, only opened the door of the shuttle, exposing the outside to them. Where the building had once stood now laid a pile of burnt rubble. The whole complex gone and they had heard word of an attack. Jane swallowed hard before she reached back and pulled her assault rifle from its holster, smoke drifting in from a small fire still burned in the wreckage of the complex. She squared her shoulders and raised her head.

"Keep sharp," Jane said before she stepped from the shuttle and into the ruin, strands of her hair catching in the light breeze.

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Kaidan climbed up the rubble, his boot catching on a fairly large piece of concrete and sending him forward one stumbling step before he righted himself. His gaze was on his omni-tool and the blinking light that seemed to get brighter as he moved forward. Garrus and Sticks had been quiet the whole time and every instance where Kaidan caught a glimpse of Garrus, the Turian had the look on his face that he was sure they shared. Worry. Somewhere in this rubble was Liara T'Soni, their friend, and not knowing if she was dead or alive was eating at him. Losing one more friend on this planet would just be too much. He didn't need it, not when his hope was dangling on a much frayed thread.

They had been walking the rubble for an hour, losing sight of the other teams about forty five minutes ago. Amongst all the destruction they hadn't run into any resistance. He actually hadn't seen any signs of life since he landed and dispersed to follow through with his mission. It was eerily quiet and disconcerting. The only sounds Kaiden could hear were the sounds of feet shuffling over rubble and the small beep from the omni-tool at his wrist.

Jane had been right. Something was definitely off about this whole thing. He just could not peg what it was for the life of him, no matter how hard he tried.

"What the hell is that?" Sticks asked, drawing Kaidan from his thoughts.

"What are you talking about?" Garrus asked as he shifted his sniper rifle in his hands. Sticks narrowed his eyes at Garrus for a moment before pointing violently to a spot a few hundred yards away from them. Kaidan narrowed his eyes as he took a step forward.

From out of the pile of rubble a sharp piece of concrete stood at an angle and on it shadowed belly a faint blue light flickered dangerously before becoming strong once again only to flicker and wave as if a flame was being snuffed out by wind.

Wait, he knew that glow.

Sticks took four large strides before he holstered his shotgun and took the remaining steps at a clipped pace.

"That's biotics," he said loudly just as he came to a knee and grabbed for the slab of concrete.

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Kal'Reegar walked steadily through the rubble, his eyes trained on his omni-tool and the small blinking light, as voices filtered through his helmet. The Salarian was talking about seashells, his thoughts going back and forth on the matter, as the Krogan rumbled a laugh at his unlikely friend. He had met Mordin once on Haestrom when he had help Shepard save Tali and himself. He cleared his throat roughly as his thoughts drifted to Tali, but he quickly shook them away. There was a time and place to think about her and now was not that time. The thoughts fled, but the ache in his chest remained.

He hadn't met Grunt until joining the Normandy. Though he'd had his run-ins with Krogan before, Grunt was almost like a new species altogether. He was big, frightening, aggressive, at the same time there was this friendly gentleness to him that he only ever let his friends see. He should have hated Salarians and Turians from their long and horrible history, but he got along with all of them. Kal couldn't help but wonder if it was due to the fact that Grunt had spent more time around humans than he ever did the Krogan.

"Hey Reegar," Grunt called out suddenly, making the Quarian stop and looked behind him. "Do you know what a seashell is?"

For a moment he wasn't sure if Grunt was joking, but as the look of expectation grew in the Krogan's blue eyes, realized it wasn't a joke.

"Yeah I know what they are?"

"What are they?"

"Hard skeletons of dead creatures from the sea," Kal responded, not exactly knowing how to put it into words. He wasn't a scientist, plus he had always figured that everyone knew what a seashell was, just like everyone knew what the sun was.

"Skeletons, huh?" Grunt said before he let out a laugh, his massive shoulders bouncing under his armor.

Mordin said nothing on the matter, his whispered rattling coming to a halt. Just then a small cylinder came to a stop beside his shoe. Another one bounced off Grunt's chest before falling to the ground and catching on a piece of plating.

"What the hell?" Kal said, before smoke burst from the cylinders simultaneously, filling the air around him.

Grunt rocked backwards, disappearing in the smoke as Mordin began to cough uncontrollably and tried to cover his face with his arm. Kal watched helplessly as Grunt staggered and fell to the ground with a loud crash. Mordin held on only for a moment longer before he fell face first into the debris, Kal not fast enough to catch him. Something must have been in the smoke and his helmet had filtered it out. It was times like these he was thankful for having to wear one.

Approaching voices yanked his attention away from his downed squad mates and towards the noise. He still couldn't see through the smoke. Not knowing their intentions he fell to the ground beside Mordin, hoping to take the attackers by surprise.

Rubble shifted under their feet as they came closer and they finally broke through the smoke and came into view. Two men of average stature stood over Grunt, armor and helmets blocking out any features to go by. A sigil stood stark on the shoulder or their right though, the head of a lone wolf howling. He stayed still as he could as they began to talk to each other, their voices muffled through their helmets.

"Fucking Krogan is massive!" One exclaimed as he took a swift kick at the side of Grunt's exposed face.

"Who cares man, we're here for the Salarian and that is it. She'll be pissed if we dick around," the other grumbled sharply, his blue armor resembling that of the blue suns.

"Yeah, yeah," Kicker waved him off as he made to go for Mordin. Blue fussed over his helmet as he contacted someone on the other line, turning his back on Kal.

Kal silently brought himself to his feet and was moving a moment later. He slammed into Kicker, both of them falling to the ground. They wrestled frantically on the ground, forearms pressed against each other's throats before Kal got the man under him, striking his fist down so hard he cracked the faceplate of the man's helmet. He went to swing again but Blue came up from behind and grabbed him mid-punch and dragged him off, Kicker staggering to his feet.

Kal escaped Blue's grasp with a well-placed elbow to the ribs. He reeled away from them as he pulled his shotgun from its holster and smacked Kicker on the side of the head with it, knocking him down once again. Kicker didn't move after that. Blue tackled him, Kal staggering for a foothold only to trip on Mordin's outstretched arm and hit the ground with the weight of Blue on top of him. Blue sent a powerful hit to his helmet, kicking his head back into the dirt before Kal wrestled him off and switched their positions. He sat up and reeled his arm back. He went to punch but a hit from a shotgun butt nailed him in the side of the head. Kal rocked in his position, arms falling to his sides as he looked over just in time to see a short female Quarian standing above him and the butt of the shotgun slamming down on him once more to send him into complete darkness.

Blue pushed Kal off him and quickly got to his feet, a groan coming from Kicker as he stood up.

Kalli threw the shotgun down at Kal as she let out an exasperate sigh.

"We weren't expecting a Quarian to be here," Blue said quickly.

"Whatever," Kalli said as she turned away from her incompetent help. "Just get the Salarian. Leave the others. We gotta get out of here."

She hadn't been expecting a Quarian either.

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Author's note: Hope you guys are still reading. The next part of Eden Prime will be up in one week!


	32. Chapter 31

**Priority: Eden Prime II**

Jane kicked lightly at a piece of rubble as she re-adjusted her assault rifle, eyes squinting into the mid-afternoon sun. She looked to her right when an exasperated whirl came from Legion. His face plates flared lightly as his light twitched back and forth. They were at the very far edge of the rubble and all Jane had to do to be back on dirt was take a small step off the broken concrete slab she was now perched on.

It seemed like they had been searching for the source of the beacon for hours and had come up with nothing. She let out a frustrated huff, kicking a round piece of metal and watched it skid away from her.

_She watched as the helmet skidded into the shadows, a thud sounding off as it collided with a large chunk of cement that had been a basketball court just a few hours ago._

Jane shook her head violently at the memory, a smile and a flash of green eyes and messy blonde hair quickly following.

"You alright?" Kasumi asked her, dark brow furrowed together as she looked over Jane.

"Yeah," Jane started, her voice coming out tight. She quickly cleared her throat. "I'm fine."

Jane looked back at Legion again, remembering his distress. That's when she noticed the lack of steady beeping coming from Legion's scanner. "What's going on Legion?"

"The signal has been lost," he replied with agitation. Jane frowned as she turned to face him fully.

"Lost? What…"

"The signal disappeared completely 47.8 seconds ago."

Jane pursed her lips before she finally holstered her weapon. "Let's rendezvous back with the others then."

Her hand reached up to tap at her comlink when movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She turned to look, eyes going wide when five people came into view at the top of the hill that led to a small landing pad. It wasn't the amount of people suddenly appearing after all this time, or the lone wolf insignia on their armor. It was the man that stood tall in the middle of the group, the one with the angry smirk on his face.

"Maho," she whispered under her breath, hand frozen inches from her comlink.

He was in a back suit of armor, special ops issue, and the insignia of the Shade was engraved across his chest in a white so bright it almost burned. His deep red hair was windblown and lying across his forehead, blue eyes shining out at her through long lashes she only remembered, his face riddled with scars that she didn't. She took a step in his direction, body rigid. Her breath strangled in her throat. Jane was only conscious for a split second of a hand grabbing onto her shoulder before his voice ripped through the air and swallowed everything around her.

"Hello Jane," Mahogany said, his voice somehow booming over the roaring of the wind. That smile dropped slightly as his eyes narrowed at her, "Long time no see. Come play with me…for old time's sake?"

She had no time to respond before he turned and headed up the hill away from her at a clipped pace. Jane ripped herself from the grasp on her shoulder and headed after him, the yells of Kasumi being ignored at her back. Jane passed by his lackeys without trouble and quickened her pace, the sound of sudden gunfire going unnoticed.

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Kaidan ripped one more piece of rubble away, falling to his knees at the sight of it. A biotic bubble. He leaned over the opening and peered down as the bubble shuttered one more time before disappearing.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Garrus said with a small laugh as he holstered his sniper rifle.

Down in the hole, between concrete and sheets of twisted metal sat three figures. Liara was in the middle, dirt and blood splattered lightly across her pale face and her left arms hanging at an odd angle. To her right was an orange faced Drell who looked unharmed and to her left was a massive human solider with a waffle pattern tattoo crawling up his neck. They only injury he seemed to have suffered was a cut to the head which had plastered his short cropped hair even closer to his head.

"You're telling me," Liara said out of breath, "what took you guys so long?"

"Garrus got held up doing some calibrations," Kaidan teased, trying to keep the mood light. He was just relieved they had found her. "Are you hurt?"

"My arms broken," she replied evenly.

"We'll get you out of there, just hold on."

Liara said nothing more just nodded as she let her head fall back on the panel behind her and let out a huge sigh as the solider stood from his spot steadily, no sign on concussion evident.

"Could you hurry up amigo, I'm not big on small spaces," he said as he stretched his arms over his head and rocked his head from side to side until his neck gave a resounding pop.

"I wouldn't be either if I were your size," Sticks added as he came to the edge of the hole, being careful not to knock debris in as he threw a rope over the side.

"You are my size."

"Right, sorry. Forgot I was a Turian," Sticks said with a small laugh. He caught Garrus looking at him suspiciously from the corner of his eye. He looked over quickly, mandibles flaring. "What?"

"Do you always keep rope on you like that?" Garrus asked.

Sticks just smiled. "It always seems to come in handy, for all different kinds of situations."

Kaidan scoffed and Garrus frowned before he turned his direction back to the hole. He reached out with one arm as it began to glow blue. The solider shot out from the hole and landed on stumbling feet a few meters away from Garrus.

"Whoa! Could you warn a guy next time!"

"Sorry," Kaidan said before going back to his task, lifting the Drell before lifting Liara out as gently as possible. The minute her shaky feet touched the ground the Drell was at her side, supporting her.

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Jane came to a skidding halt on the top of the hill. The toes of her boots brushed against the paneling of the small landing pad, two sides of the pad surrounded by solid ground as the other two were surrounded by nothing but air. Dirt swiftly moved swiftly through the air from one side to the other. Mahogany stood in the middle of the pad, arms hanging at his side as he stared out at her.

Jane took a deep breath, let it out, and then stepped onto the landing platform. That knowing smirk faltered as she took another step closer. She wanted to run at him, hit him and scream. She wanted to ask him so many questions. She wanted to apologize. But the longer she stood there watching him, seeing a face she thought she had lost forever, all those feelings were drowned out by one.

Jane wanted to embrace him. But that time had died long ago in a hospital room on the Citadel.

"I was wondering if you would have the guts to face me after all this time," Mahogany said, shattering the silence, but only strengthening the tension that was growing between them. Jane clenched her fists at her sides.

"I thought you were dead. I…I thought…"

"You think a lot of things Jane and you're usually wrong."

She frowned, her chest coiling with weariness as he continued to stand ramrod straight. It wasn't right, none of it was. Why was he here? Why now? It just didn't make any sense to her, but the sight of an old friend sent her into a wave of emotion that she couldn't control and her hands began to shake.

The last time she had seen him he had wished for her death instead of his brothers. She had to; still did most of the time, but nothing either of them did would bring back Georgie.

"Mahogany I…"

"Oh just shut your mouth Jane! Just shut your fucking mouth!" Mahogany screamed as he began to pace back and forth, his fury evident by the creeping blush coming up his neck from inside the hole of his armor. "You always have something to say and all you do is lie! You're a disease you bitch! A FUCKING DISEASE!"

He stopped then, turning to face her full on as his omni-tool flared to life, a long blade slowly forming in the orange light. Mahogany rushed her, arm going back and slicing down at her as he came into reaching distance. Jane sidestepped him, the blade barely missing her as she turned and gave a swift punch to his kidney. He stumbled for a moment before righting himself. He let out a laugh as he turned towards her again.

"I haven't done this in years! Come on KK, show me what you really got," he taunted, his omni-blade retracting as he began to bounce lightly on his feet.

She knew his fighting style, had sparred with him many times in their youth, but now? There was something erratic in his movements that hadn't been there before and though she knew his punches had never been as powerful as his brothers they still pack quite a lot of force. And his speed? She had never been able to match it.

He went at her again, his left hook skimming off her chin. She back peddled to get further away, but he came at her, hitting her in the collar bone. The armor took most of the impact, Jane brushing it off and ducking as he came in again. She threw out her arm, landing a solid punch to the chest. He staggered slightly and she caught him again, knocking his head back with a violent snap.

He let out a scream of rage as he reached out and pushed her. Jane stumbled slightly before she dug her boots into the metal plating of the landing pad. Orange flashed before her eyes as a searing pain ripped through the left side of her face. She pulled away from him, grabbing at the wound. He kicked her in the stomach violently before grabbing her by the neck of her armor and throwing her to the ground. Air rushed from her lungs at the impact. Her head bounced once before coming to a rest, sand lightly stinging at the side of face. She went to reach for the pistol at her side, but mahogany grabbed at it before pinning both of her hands close to her sides with his knees as he kneeled over her. He leaned closer, his face mere inches from hers. One of his hands snaked up her chest to rest on her neck, lightly squeezing.

"He trusted you so fully and completely," Mahogany said through gritted teeth, "I trusted you. We were supposed to be together forever, remember? Until the end. We promised! YOU PROMISED!" His grip tightened around her neck a fraction, not yet cutting off her rapid breathing. "But then Nihlus came and suddenly we weren't good enough anymore."

Jane shook her head in protest only to have him pick her up slightly by the neck and slam her head down once again to stop her protesting.

"Stop lying! You abandoned us, abandoned me…for him!"

"No I…I never…"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Mahogany screamed as he tightened his grip once again. His eyes flickered to her bottom lip, to her scar. "Oh…" he said with a trembling laugh as his eyes flashed back to hers with rage, "I see he marked you finally. Was that right before your brother let him die?"

Jane looked away from him, not able to stop the tear that fell from her averted eyes.

"So he did. Well let's fix that," Mahogany said as his free hand crept up and pressed the small button to relay a message through her comlink as he bit down on her lip until blood seeped into his mouth and a scream ripped from her throat.

000000000000000

"Kaidan we have a problem," Kaidan heard through his comlink just as they got Liara's arm into a makeshift sling. Gunfire could just be heard behind Kasumi's words.

"What is it?" He asked, pushing down the slight panic that was forming in his chest.

"We're pinned down. We ran into the Shade. Jane ran ahead and we haven't been able to move to assist. They're firing at us, but…"

"But what?"

"It's like they're just buying time. They're just aiming for our cover so we have to stay put. I tried to use my cloak but it must have gotten damaged by some shrapnel."

"Are you hurt?" Kaidan asked quickly.

"No," Kasumi replied, "we're fine."

Kaidan let out a breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding. The Shade…on Eden Prime? What the hell was going on?

"We're on our way just hold tight."

"We'll be here," Kasumi said before she fell back into radio silence. Kaidan didn't hesitate as he quickly buzzed Cortez.

"We need an emergency pick up Cortez. We have wounded," Kaidan said. He barely registered the soldier's response to the name. "Have Mordin and his team checked in?"

"That's a negative sir. I've been checking on their tracking signals. They've been in the same spot for a while. I tried all of them, but I got nothing."

Kaidan cursed to himself. Well this was just getting worse and worse. Nothing ever came easy when he went on a mission with someone that carried the last name Shepard. "Okay well come pick up the wounded here and then go to their location. Stay in contact, I'm gonna need another pickup."

"Roger that. I'll be there in five."

Kaidan cut the link and reached back for his weapon and pulled it from its holster, checked the ammo out of habit, before pointing towards the ground. He looked back at the group behind him. All eyes were on him.

"Sticks, uh…" Kaidan stalled as he looked over at the soldier.

"Lt. James Vega," James responded as he shifted his weight.

"Sticks, Vega, you stay and wait for the shuttle. Then make sure you retrieve Mordin and his team."

They both nodded in unison.

"Garrus you…"

Suddenly a blood curdling scream ripped over the comlink, stopping him cold. He felt the blood drain from his face as he locked eyes with Garrus.

"That was Jane!' Sticks yelled as he started forward.

"We'll find her, you stay with Liara," Kaidan said, trying to stop the Turian's advance.

"Like hell!"

"You want on this team do as you're commanded!" Kaidan snapped. Sticks stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Just…we'll get her I promise."

"If you don't bring _MY_ Shepard back in one piece I will kill you both," Sticks threatened as he stayed in his spot.

"Jane…Shepard. Wait? Lola?!" where the last words Kaidan heard uttered before he took off in their last known direction, his omni-tool clicking to life and beeping rapidly as he changed it lock position to Shepard.

000000000000

Mahogany ripped away from Jane, blood running down his chin as he looked over the ruin he had caused. His gut clenched for a moment as he took in the destruction he had caused her.

_She stumbled into him slightly, her face still pointed downward as she clutched onto the front of his shirt._

He shook his head violently, the memory violating him and his grip on her throat increased. He still remembered that day vividly, just as he did most days from the academy; a laughing Georgie and a smirking, troublemaker of a girl always by his side. He had thought then that they would always be together, but the fleeting dream of and eighteen year old boy was just a cold reminder of everything that he didn't have.

Mahogany sat up slightly, taking one long look at the tear running from the corner of her eye and disappearing into her ear before he brought his fist down to knock out the sorrow in that pair of grey eyes that haunted him.

Jane's head snapped to the side as he brought his fist down a second time, then a third before he moved on and gave her a few sharp jabs in the ribs. She kicked her legs out and bucked her hips to try and throw him off as blood ran down her throat, making her stomach churn. He just adjusted his seat and brought his fist down one last time before grabbing at her throat once again.

"Maho," Jane whispered through her battered lips, trying to pry one of her swelling eyes open. His blue eyes were wide and frenzied as he stared down at her, grip tightening on her throat.

"I sense your weakness,"he said suddenly, eyes dilating. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "You will regret your resistance."

"Mahogany?" Jane strained out. Mahogany shook his head violently after she spoke, muttering to himself as his gaze focused on her once again.

"You took him from me," he whispered angrily. "He was my brother, my twin, the other part of my soul. Do you know what that feels like to have that ripped away from you?"

She didn't respond aloud, but one word rang out in her head. One word said in his voice.

_Yes._

"Since you took away something important from me, I am going to return the favor."

"What are you talking about?" Jane asked, her brow furrowing. He smiled before he leaned down, his lips just brushing her ear as he softly sang.

"I am the very model of a Scientist Salarian."

Jane bucked wildly underneath him, finally freeing one of her hands from under his knee and she quickly reached out for the pistol that lay just out of reach. Suddenly a violent blue wave crashed into Mahogany, knocking him off of her and skidding along the platform. He stopped and quickly rose to his feet, just to be knocked again by another wave of blue. Mahogany staggered to stay upright as his heels came to the edge of the platform, nothing but air behind him.

"Jane!" A voice rang out. Her head fell to the side to see Kaidan and Garrus running towards her, Legion and Kasumi at the crest of the hill firing down the way they had come. Kaidan glowed blue as he stepped between her body and Mahogany, Garrus kneeling down and reaching out for her.

"I got you," Garrus whispered as he reached behind her and helped her sit it. The world swam around her, the only stable thing Garrus' hand at her back.

She looked towards Mahogany who still stood where Kaidan had flung him to, a smirk on his face and his body language aggressive as he squared off and waited for another onslaught from Kaidan. He took a moment to look over his shoulder before his gaze found her again.

Mahogany wiped at the blood on his chin as his smirk grew feral, Garrus' grip tightening on Jane. He then snapped into a salute before he tipped backwards and fell over the side. Kaidan went to run forward as a vice turned in Jane's chest. A rush of air washed over them as a shuttle lifted into view with a smug Mahogany standing in the open doorway, one arm holding onto the frame of the doorway. He smirked at her one more time before stepping further into the belly of the shuttle, the door snapping closed behind him.

"Cortez we need a pick up. Now!" Jane heard Kaidan snap as she struggled to her feet with the help of Garrus. She leaned down for a moment, picked up her pistol, put it in it's holster and quickly tipped forward. Strong arms caught her and picked her up, cradling her body against his large chest.

Black and blue armor. Garrus.

"I got you," He said again, the rumble of his chest making his armor rub uncomfortably against her hurt ribs.

She wanted to tell him thank you, but the word that came out was _Mordin._

_00000000000_

_Author's Note: Jane has the best kind of friends! Anyway hope you enjoyed and the next chaper should be up by the 25th. _


	33. Chapter 32

_Jane huffed erratically as she dragged herself up the hill. They had been walking up hill for about an hour, their armor and weapons becoming heavier with every step they took. She knew she shouldn't have taken that small vacation before heading out on their newest mission._

_Tuchanka. What a fucking dump._

"_Looking a little red there Jane, you need us to stop and wait for you?" Georgie teased as he stopped a few feet up the hill from her, looking over his shoulder and down at her with that warm smile on his face._

_She just scoffed. "I'm fine dammit."_

"_You're just spending too much time with that Turian. He's making you soft," Mahogany spoke up from her side. She looked over at him. He hadn't even broken a sweat, but he was keeping pace with her, humoring her. She hated when he did that. "Don't worry we'll have you hard again in no time."_

_Georgie let out an uproarious laugh before he shook his head and headed back up the hill. Jane just frowned as Mahogany ran to catch up with him._

"_I didn't mean it like that!" She heard him say before they both disappeared over the crest of the hill._

_It wasn't long before her and the rest of the team joined the brothers and a small group of Salarians that were waiting for them. Jane mumbled to herself as she made her way towards Mahogany and Georgie before she was intercepted by a Salarian in red and white STG armor. He scanned her quickly with his omni-tool as he talked rapidly. She didn't catch any of it. Finally he stopped and looked up at her and smiled._

"_You'll do."_

"_I'll do for what?" Jane asked incredulously, raising a brow in question._

"_My team. Scouting ahead. Sniper. Trained," he stopped and took in a deep breath through his nose. "You'll do. Mordin Solus."_

_He didn't offer a hand, just waited for her to reply._

"_Uh Jane…Jane Shepard."_

"_Yes. Read your file. Right choice. Follow me."_

Jane's eyes snapped open as she sat up with a start, hands gripping onto the sides of the medical bay bed as she looked around at her surroundings frantically; sterile, the familiar hum of a familiar engine and the same Turian standing in the corner looking very disapprovingly at her.

_Mordin._

She threw the thin sheet off her body and swung her legs over the side of the bed before hopping off. Her vision was blurry, but she paid no heed as she called out for Joker.

"Yeah Jane?" He answered back immediately, just like she knew he would.

"Take us to Omega. Now!"

"On it."

The Medical bay was silent aside from her erratic breathing as she began to make her way towards the exit. Sticks quickly joined her, his footfalls heavy as he got to her side in moments. He stopped her forward motion with a grab at her arm, but she quickly ripped it away as she turned on him.

A long gash on her left cheek was covered with gauze, one side of her bottom lip looked like it had been chewed on by a Vorcha and her right eye was slightly swollen and black, blood having blocked out all the white of her eye.

"Jane would you just hold on for a minute," Sticks said, "You're wounded. You have bruised ribs and honestly you looked like you got mauled by a pack of Vorcha."

"I don't care Sticks," she replied as she quickly turned and fled from the medical bay, Sticks still following her.

She strode into the mess hall. Grunt and Kal sat quietly at the table as Kaidan asked them questions. Grunt looked over at her for only a moment, but she didn't miss that look of guilt in his blue eyes before he looked away.

"You need to heal up first before you go after him. You need to control your…"

Jane stopped, shoulders becoming rigid before she spoke, just barely looking back at him over her shoulder.

"Control my anger? Mordin doesn't have the time for me to heal and _my_ anger won't go away until I get him back and I _will_ get him back."

"Jane…"

"You're not talking me out of it Sticks. Not this time."

00000000000000

_Jane was curled quietly in her bed, knees pulled up to her chest and held in place as her arms wrapped around them. Lighting boomed outside her cracked window making her jump slightly and bury her face into her knees. He had left them, had just up and left them alone with nothing but five credits and a loaf of stale bread in their broken kitchen cabinet._

_Jane's eyes slammed shut as thunder sounded again. She shivered violently in her dirty brown sheets before a steadying hand gripped gently onto one of her small shoulders. She braved a look and was greeted by a smiling face and a pair of grey eyes that were desperately trying to hide the fear that was radiating through his small teenage frame._

"_He left us Johnny. What do we do now?" Jane asked as he began to uncurl herself, feeling safer with her brother by her side. He smiled strongly down at her as he tucked a strand of her brown hair behind a small ear._

"_We'll figure something out Jane. We always do," John replied softly._

"_I feel lost," Jane whispered._

"_Hey," John said, putting his hand gently under her chin and tilting her face so she was looking at him once more. "As long as we have each other we'll never be lost. We'll always be each other's compass to guide us home if we ever get lost. Okay?"_

_Jane nodded her head in agreement before speaking again. "Johnny?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Can you sing that song please?"_

"_I thought you said you were too big to be sung to sleep," John replied with a small laugh._

"_Please?"_

_John let out a sigh, his smile growing a little wider and showing his slightly crooked front tooth. "Okay but only because you asked me so nicely."_

_He crawled into bed next to her, the sheet bunched between them as he laid down flat on his back and stared at the brown dry rot spot on the ceiling of their bedroom._

_There are stars_

_In the Southern sky_

_Southward as you go_

_There is moonlight_

_And moss in the trees_

_Down the Seven Bridges Road_

Jane quietly hummed absentmindedly as she pulled on a pair of skin tight jeans before quickly slamming her feet into a pair of well-worn black combat boots. She reached for the pistol on her bed and shoved it into the back of her pants before grabbing her weather beaten black leather jacket, throwing it over her shoulders. Jane took a deep breath and her ribs screamed in protest. The sound of the trash compactor releasing filled the silent room as her gaze landed on a model of the Destiny Ascension that sat on her desk. She wasn't sure how it had gotten from the ship model case in the Captain's quarters to her room, but Jane had her suspicions.

She made her way over to it, gently picking it up and examining it. It was so pristine and perfect, the way Johnny had kept all his things when he had gotten the means to. Her gripped tightened on it as she squeezed her eyes shut and fought back another memory, anger swelling in her chest. Her arm cocked back as if to throw the thing across the room, but she stopped herself before putting it back down on her desk. Her gaze lingered on it a moment longer before she turned and left her room and headed for the commanded deck.

The elevator opened silently onto the command deck and Jane promptly exited it, making a bee line for the airlock door, ignoring all the eyes that were on her as she did so. She still hadn't explained herself for abandoning Kasumi, Legion and the mission and going after Mahogany. She wasn't sure that she would ever be able to explain it and make people understand, but Jane knew that she would have too and had all intent to do just that. But it would have to wait until after she got Mordin back. Sometimes actions needed to come before answers.

Jane made it to the airlock without disruption, Sticks looking at her from where he leaned against the Galaxy Map with a distraught look on his face. He didn't try to come along because he knew that she wouldn't let him. When one planned on nefarious action they left their conscious behind. But as she called out for Joker to release the hatch a large hand grabbed gently at her forearm from the shadow of the airlock entryway. She looked over her shoulder to see Garrus looking down at her. He was stone faced, but his blue eyes shined with a hurricane of emotion that made her chest grow tight as she delayed pulling her arm away.

"Let me come with you," he said softly.

She smiled sadly back at him. "No."

"I know the back alleys and all the places to find what you're looking for," Garrus protested, his grip tightening for a moment before softening again.

Her gaze drifted away from him, contemplating bringing another gun along. He had been the Archangel at one time, a vigilante bringing his own brand of justice to the mercenaries, dealers and wheelers of Omega. But that was the thing, it had always been about justice and what she was about to do was the farthest thing from it. She looked back up at him before she spoke.

"I don't want you to go with me," Jane said as she pulled her arm slowly from his grasp, "I don't want you to see me that way."

His mandibles flared at her insinuation. A sigh rumbled from his chest as he gave in to defeat. He knew from experience that once a Shepard set their mind to something there was no changing it for anything.

"Just be careful," Garrus said, getting a little light in the woman's smile. She nodded to him before turning back and disappearing out the airlock and into the docks of Omega.

0000000000

Every time she ascended the stairs to Aria T'Lok's throne she felt a weird sense of nostalgia come over her. And though she thought them friends, Jane wasn't naïve to the fact that if their friendship was terminated Aria wouldn't hesitate to slit her throat, just like Jane wouldn't hesitate to give her two to the chest. A batarian in yellow and black armor caught her attention as she ascended the stairs. He stood off to the side, large arms crossed over a broad chest, his four eyes intense, but bored at the same time. She had no idea how he was doing it.

"Well I can't say I'm surprised to see you at my doorstep," Aria said as her gaze cut away from her guest and to Jane. Jane's eyes darted from Aria to the Salarian on the couch next to her; yellow armor and a hood over her head. Eno Wiks.

"I need to know where the Shade's agents are," Jane replied quickly.

Aria quirked a brow, leaning back against the large couch and crossing one leg over the other. "Not even a friendly hello? How rude of you Jane."

"I'm in a hurry Aria. I just need the information."

"What is the rush exactly?"

"Reaper invasion. Galaxy at stake. Everyday stuff."

"You wouldn't be so rattled over something so impersonal. Tell me what this is really about if you want to know where his agents are."

Jane's eyes narrowed in anger, her face going dark. She saw some of Aria's guards go stiff and reach for their weapons, but their queen stopped them with a small raise of her hand. Jane huffed, looking from Aria to Eno and then back to the asari.

"Had a run in with the Shade a few days back. He took one of my crew. I want him back."

Aria's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"Mordin Solus."

"Did he also do that to your face?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm…."

Aria was silent for a moment, her eyes cutting to Eno who had leaned forward and back to Jane. "It seems that the two of you have similar predicaments."

"What are you talking about?" Jane asked, eyes narrowing.

"Padok went missing a week ago. Mordin was working on something with my brother, something that could fix a terrible wrong. I had my suspicions about who might have been behind his disappearance, but you being here and Mordin being taken proves it," Eno said as she rose from her seat on the couch.

"What are you…what were they working on?" Jane asked, her voice angry and confused. Mordin had told her nothing of a project that was anything but trying to find something to use against the reapers.

"A cure."

"A cure for what?" Jane practically shouted.

"A cure for the Genophage."

Jane paused, her eyes blinking as she stared at Eno unbelievingly. A cure for the Genophage? She had never thought she would see it in her lifetime. And it just didn't make sense. Why would Mahogany go after Padok and Mordin when he had always been against the Genophage in the first place? Was it so he could use it as a bargaining chip to get the Korgan on his side or was he doing it just to get to her?

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Jane asked.

Eno shrugged her shoulders. "You had more pressing issues to concern yourself with than one missing Salarian. I will come with you on this."

Jane nodded in agreement. She couldn't say no to someone looking for their brother. Not even hell would have been able to stop Jane if she was in the same position.

"I liked that Salarian," Aria said suddenly, drawing both of their attention back to her. Aria stayed silent for a moment as if she was mulling over a decision that she had already made the minute Mordin's name came out of Jane's mouth. "The Shade's men hang down on the eighth level at a shit dive called The Rusty Mako. If you want the information you're looking for talk to Zantos Brax. He's a human with a bad attitude and an even uglier face. You won't miss him."

"Thank you," Jane said, "I owe you one."

Aria smiled. "Naturally."

Jane turned to head down the stair, Eno right beside her when Aria called out again.

"And Jane?" She said, her voice low and dangerous.

"Yeah?" Jane inquired, looking back over her shoulder at the asari.

"When you go to get you home back just send the word. I'll be there with mine."

Jane couldn't help the small smile of appreciation from coming to her mouth. She said nothing, just nodded and continued down the stairs.

0000000000000000000

_Jane yawned as she hugged her rifle to her chest, shifting slightly on the rock she was using as a seat. She had taken off from the rest of the group to scout ahead with Mordin and his small team, Mahogany being included at the last minute. They had been scouting for hours and when the sun had finally fallen behind the mountains it had been too dark for them to continue. So they had made camp twenty minutes ago, huddled in between a small gathering of rock to stay hidden on the vast plain. No fire. She was fine with that. It was too damn hot for it anyway._

_Soft shuffling of dirt under booted feet had her eyes fluttering open. She didn't need to look, she could tell by the lightness to the steps and the slight drag of a foot that it was Mahogany, but Jane couldn't stop from looking anyway._

_He looked worn out as he approached her, his dark red hair plastered to his neck and forehead. Dry mud was flaking across the legs of his armor from the unsuspecting swamp he had trekked through with an abrasive Salarian named Kirrahe to investigate a rather unusual noise. It had been a pair of varren together that Mahogany had described to her in more detail than she had needed to hear. His special ops armor was black, his N4 white and stark on the collar of his chest plate. Helmet hanging in hand he came to a stop right in front of her, his light eyes looking down at her for a moment before he turned, plopped down on his ass and leaned back until Jane spread her legs so he could lean against her, his head resting on the torso of her armor. Arms coming to rest on her thighs, his eyes closed again before a small snore immediately followed. She frowned slightly in annoyance. Jane had always envied that skill of his, falling to sleep in an instant. Sleep always seemed to elude or torment her._

Heavy footfalls could be heard rushing towards them as they made their way to a service elevator that could take them to the eighth level. Jane failed to look back, her hand reaching out for the button when Eno's voice pierced through her fog of memories.

"I was wondering when he would show up. Four guns are always better than three, I say."

Jane looked back then, her eyes narrowing when then landed on the Turian coming to a skidding stop in front of her. She turned fully to him, one of her fingers jutting out and stabbing him in the chest and whispered at him harshly, knowing full well that Eno and Tutu, the familiar looking batarian from the stairs, were watching them.

"I told you to stay on the ship Sticks."

His hands came up in a small surrender.

"I know. I just couldn't let you do this alone." Jane went to protest, but he quickly interrupted her. "I won't stop you Jane. I promise I won't interfere."

Jane regarded him for a moment before sighing, giving him one last harsh poke for measure and succumbing to defeat. Sticks was just about as stubborn as she was and Eno had been right, four guns were always better than three. Sticks looked around for a moment before speaking again.

"Where's your other half Wiks?" He asked, addressing Eno and her lack of human male companion, a fact that Jane had completely looked over in her rage to find Mordin. Eno just smiled at him sweetly as she made her way onto the elevator, everyone following.

"He's following a lead else ware. I'll tell him you asked about him. He does like it when people inquire about him."

Sticks let out a small laugh. "Don't all males?"

Jane let out a snort and Tutu grumbled from his spot at the back of the elevator.

"It's that the truth of it?" Eno responded before the doors closed and they began their decent to the bowels of Omega.

000000000000

Finding The Rusty Mako hadn't been hard. It stood out in the grime and filth like a neon Mecca, beckoning patrons like moths to a flame. It was a gentleman's club that reminded Jane of Chora's Den, but bigger and far less classy. Yeah. She preferred Chora's Den to this place and she much less likely to catch something there than at her current location.

"Well this place is dreadful," Eno spoke up from behind Jane. Her brow rose in surprise as she looked at the Salarian. "What? Just because I'm a mercenary doesn't mean I don't have standards. I do have them and they are very high."

Jane shook her head slightly as she looked back over the swelling crowd. Tables were littered on the edges of the dance floor, shadowed corners filled with dancers giving patrons private shows. Her gaze landed on a man near the back. His hair was black and oily, hanging limply around his pox marked face. He was all nose and ears, his lips almost completely nonexistent. A white howling wolf stood stark against the blue shoulder of his armor. Aria was right; Zantos Brax was ugly as sin.

"Okay I'm going to lure him in, get his attention, you guys meet…" Jane's words trailed when she felt Sticks smack her lightly on the shoulder. "What?"

"I don't think you're his type," Sticks replied as he motioned with his head towards their quarry. Jane looked and saw the man eyeing a Turian and a male one at that. Sticks gave her a reassuring tap. "How about I get his attention?"

"Fine, just lure his away to the bathroom alone. We'll question him there."

"Okay," Sticks said with a little laugh as his mandibles flared. "Meet you there in five."

With that he sauntered off, confidence radiating.

"He's mighty sure of himself," Tutu finally spoke, his voice low and gruff.

"Sticks can seduce the socks off of anyone," Jane replied.

"Except the one he wants," Eno added. A comment Jane completely ignored.

00000000000

Damn, the closer he got to the guy the uglier he got. Sticks was pretty sure that his target had been hit with every ugly stick that had ever been created. As he got closer the man's eyes landed on him, said man taking a harsh swallow and not bothering to look away. Sticks' mandibles flared in mild amusement as he deftly passed a few scantily clad asari. He had his guy. Hook. Line. Sinker.

When he got to the table he deftly slid into the open seat, letting his knees brush against Zantos' under the table. He didn't need to ask, it was clear by the look on Zantos' face that he was more than invited. He was wanted.

"How's it going?" Sticks said, dropping his voice a register and his eyes becoming dangerous. It only made the man smile wider.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Zantos asked as he leaned in Sticks direction. Zantos was giving off that desperate vibe that was making him stupid. Only a deprived son of a bitch would accept the company of a big Turian like Sticks without any amount of apprehension.

"How about we skip the foreplay? I saw the way you were watching me come over here. We're both adults, no reason to tip toe. It's obvious that we both want the same thing so let's cut the bullshit, grab a stall in that bathroom and I'll give it to you the way you want it."

Zantos sputtered for a moment, his hand clenching around his beer, knuckles going white. His scarred face flushed before he stood suddenly, looking for Sticks to follow. Sticks stood and followed, throwing a look and a wink in Jane's direction as he disappeared into the men's bathroom right behind Zantos.

Jane followed quickly, Eno and Tutu and her heels. When she reached the bathroom she flung the door harshly, seeing Zantos go for the button of Sticks pants before she rushed him, grabbing him by the neck and thrusting him against a stall door. The door swung wide and Zantos stumbled back in surprise, sitting hard on the toilet behind him.

"Good thing you got here, I was about to punch him," Sticks said as he fastened his pants. He ran his hands down the front of his suit. "I feel dirty."

Jane didn't respond, her eyes trained on the man in front of her. She rose a leg and set her foot in between his on the rim of the toilet to block him in. "Where is the Shade keeping Mordin Solus?"

"I..I don't know what…" his words faltered at the drop of Jane's leg. Her hand reached around for her pistol, bringing it around and whipping it across his face. Zantos let out a yelp of alarm, the skin under his eye splitting at the contact.

"Tell me where Mordin Solus is," Jane said through gritted teeth.

"I don't know that kind of information."

Jane brought her pistol down on him again. Once. Twice.

"Shit!" he screamed as he tried to cover is face from another blow.

"Tell me where he is!"

"You're fucking crazy," Zantos grumbled around his rapidly swelling lip. "I'm not telling you shit."

Jane holstered her pistol and took a step back before turning and making her way toward Tutu. She spun the surprised batarian, yanked his shotgun from its holster and made her way back to Zantos who was watching her warily. She cocked the gun, shot off two quick rounds and brought the hot barrel of the gun down on his face. He screamed as he tried to maneuver away from her but she only pressed in in harder.

"Tell me!"

"Okay, okay…shit. The Shade has him on Tuchanka is some run down facility. That's all I know. I swear," Zanto answered, holding his hands out in surrender.

"Is there another Salarian with him?" Jane asked, digging the gun in deeper.

"Yeah, yeah. There's two of them. Please…just…don't kill me."

Jane frowned deeper, leaning on forward, the gun digging into the burn she had caused. Her trigger finger itched as she started to squeeze.

"Jane," Sticks said from behind her. His voice was calm, collected, something that cut through the rage and made her pull back the gun and thrust it back to its owner.

She stepped from the stall and headed for the door before two shots boomed off the walls of the bathroom. Her head whipped around to see Eno holstering her pistol and Zantos' dead body slumped against the side of the stall.

"Loose ends are messy. Better to get rid of them when you have the chance," Eno offered in answer for her actions.

"Are you coming with us?" Jane asked. Eno shook her head.

"I'll go to the DMZ, but I can't step foot on Tuchanka. I'll wait in orbit and leave the rescuing to you."

"Why can't you…" Jane started, but Eno just cut her off with a sharp reply.

"It's a long story. I'll watch the sky for trouble. Just bring my brother back to me alright. In as whole of a piece as you can," Eno said, her voice trailing at the end.

"I'll get him back. I'll get them both back."

Eno nodded before she turned and left, leaving Jane and Sticks with a dead man and a promise she hoped she could keep.

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_Mordin fussed at the wound on the young male's leg. The boy had been reckless, not following orders as he worried over his brother and the girl. They had both come out of the scuffle with not even a scratch and Mahogany, if Mordin remembered his name correctly, was probably going to have trouble with his leg for the rest of his life._

"_Shit, ouch Solus," Mahogany said as his leg flinched away. Mordin bringing it back to place instantly._

"_Cleaning wound. Do not want infection. Could lose leg."_

"_You are always one with the good news," Mahogany snorted before letting out a small his._

_They had been on the mission together for almost two weeks and the longer they were together the more Mordin was learning about the three enigmatic youths. They stuck out from the rest of their platoon, not only in skill, but in the way they worked so well together and adapted to the things around them. They were a well-oiled unit, knowing what one would do before they even did it. The Blonde, Georgie, was the toughest and most obnoxious of the group while Mahogany seemed to be the level-headed one that tried desperately to keep the others in line. And Jane, the girl who sang to them, was the glue. The boys cared for her deeply. _

"_The probability of strong, intelligent offspring is high," Mordin said suddenly, getting a confused look from Mahogany._

"_What are you talking about?" He asked._

"_Copulation with Jane Shepard and yourself. Outcome would be good offspring."_

_Mahogany sputtered them laughed, waving his gloved hand frantically in front of his face._

"_No, it's, uh…it's….she's into turians," Mahogany answered._

"_Ah. Offspring impossible. Allergic reaction. Chaffing."_

"_You're wandering Solus," Mahogany said with a small laugh at the Salarian._

A scream ripped from Mordin as another electrical current was sent coursing through his body, eyes slamming shut as he tried to call back the noise that had already escaped him. He could hear the Quarian female laughing and Mordin knew that somewhere Padok was trying to keep himself and the female Krogan alive. Mordin could no longer remember how long he had been in Maelon's old lab, but he did know that it had been longer for Padok and Eve. The current stopped and Mordin slumped against his restraints, Kalli backing away from him.

"Separating the cure into two halves," Mahogany said as he came into view. He stopped and crouched down so he was at eye level with Mordin, "ingenious. I always admired the way your mind worked Solus."

Mordin wanted to question him, but it was pointless. He was tired, his body was malfunctioning and Mahogany wasn't dumb enough to divulge his plan, if he even had one. So he just sat there, slumped forward, the only thing keeping him in his seat being the restraints tied around his person.

"I know it takes both of you to piece it back together and that's what I need from you. If you don't I'll kill the Krogan woman the two of you seem so fond of." Mahogany stood, stretched lightly and started for the exit. "Kalli will look after you."

He was gone after that. Kalli stood in front of him, an amused look on her face as she pulled out one of her pistols and checked the ammo before slamming it back into place. She was trying to intimidate him and it wasn't working.

"You don't know it yet," Mordin said.

"Yeah, what don't I know?" Kalli inquired as she shifted slightly in her spot.

"Your death. It's coming."

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Jane rushed through the airlock and to the bridge of the Normandy, Sticks' mumblings of a shower following her as he headed for the elevator. She came to a stop behind Joker, one arm coming to rest on the back of his seat.

"Did you get what we need?" he asked, leaning his head back so he could look up at her.

"They're on Tuchanka. Set coordinates, we leaving immediately."

"You got it," Joker replied, his hands dancing over the controls expertly.

She turned to leave only to come to an abrupt halt. A man stood in front of her. He was tall, dark handsome, and buffer than the last time she had seen him. He looked at her worriedly.

"Tuchanka? Lola you hate Tuchanka," he said.

Jane stepped back a moment, still trying to wrap her head around his presence. Where the hell had he come from?

"Wha…" Jane started, not sure how to continue.

"Your boys saved me, the Doc and her _guy_ friend back on Eden Prime. Thanks for the pick up by the way."

He scratched at the back of his thick neck in nervousness when she still failed to say anything. It had been a long time since she had seen James Vega and she wasn't sorry he was here now.

"Jim Vega. I can't…"

He held up a hand and rocked back a moment, saving her from saying anything awkward.

"We can save that the catching up crap for later. What's on Tuchanka?"

"Two friends."

"Well any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Just say the word Lola and I'll help."

She smiled at him, receiving a crooked grin back. A friendly face from the past, Jane liked them more and more. Heavy footfalls could be heard on the paneling, making its way towards them. She pulled her eyes away from Vega and they landed on Garrus, his eyes flickering to Vega before going back to her.

"Joker said were going to Tuchanka," Garrus said, his voice friendly.

"That's where the Shade is hiding Mordin. I didn't get coordinates, but I thought if I talked to the clan elder I might find something out."

"Wrex is an old friend of mine, he should help." Garrus paused for a moment his gaze going back once more before continuing. "So you know Vega."

"Oh we knew each other, in a biblical sense. We go way back," Vega said with a huge smirk.

"What?" Garrus growled as he took a step forward, Vega throwing his hands up in surrender. Jane rushed forward and grabbed Garrus' wrist before leading him away from Vega and to the elevator.

"I need you to get Sticks and Grunt ready. You're all coming with me. We can't mess this up. I need you with me on this okay."

Garrus nodded. She smiled, ran her thumb gently over the inside of his wrist and disappeared into the elevator. He looked back over at Vega who was still standing at the entrance of the bridge. The man gave him a curt wave and a knowing smile. He was really starting to hate that guys face.

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Jane stepped out of the shuttle and onto the red dusty ground of Tuchanka. It had been a long time since she had been here and it still looked the same. And she still hated it. They had landed in what she could only assume was supposed to be a small screening place for visitors. Krogan were spread out and few, a couple of kiosks were set about and a pit was to the left and she could distinctly hear two varren snarling from within.

Garrus stood beside her, Sticks and Grunt bringing up the rear. She swallowed roughly as many of the krogans began to stare at them and her hand went to her side instinctively. Being around this many krogans in a closed in space made her nervous. Jane had almost died the last time she had been in this situation. Sweat beaded at her forehead, but she ignored it. There were far worse things than a mass of Krogan and even though her heart beat was racing, getting Mordin back to president over her old fears.

Jane went to start forward, but a blur of dark red caught her attention. The Krogan was fast, huge and charging straight for her.


	34. Chapter 33

Jane stepped out of the shuttle and onto the red dusty ground of Tuchanka. It had been a long time since she had been here and it still looked the same. And she still hated it. They had landed in what she could only assume was supposed to be a small screening place for visitors. Krogan were spread out and few, a couple of kiosks were set about and a pit was to the left and she could distinctly hear two varren snarling from within.

Garrus stood beside her, Sticks and Grunt bringing up the rear. She swallowed roughly as many of the Krogan began to stare at them and her hand went to her side instinctively. Being around this many Krogan in a closed in space made her nervous. Jane had almost died the last time she had been in this situation. Sweat beaded at her forehead, but she ignored it. There were far worse things than a mass of Krogan and even though her heart beat was racing, getting Mordin back took precedence over her old fears.

Jane went to start forward, but a blur of dark red caught her attention. The Krogan was fast, huge and charging straight for her. She reached for Garrus, pushing him harshly away from her before she turned just as a streak of red and blue filled her vision followed by a horrendous slam into her that sent her flying back and tumbling into the varren fighting pit.

Jane crashed into the hard packed earth, air rushing from her lungs at the impact. Her vision swam and dimmed, the fuzzy mass of red jumping down into the pit after her, encompassing her failing vision. She scrambled backwards, her hand catching on a piece of shrapnel. Jane ignored the pain as she reached for the pistol at her side. A heavy boot collided with her chest, pinning her, before the butt of a shotgun smacked into her nose. She heard the sickening crack of the delicate bones breaking just before blood poured down into her gasping mouth.

The gun was pulled back for another blow, her hand still scrambling for her gun, when a body slammed into the Krogan, knocking him off of her and into the dirt. Jane only saw the marking of the Archangel fighting in a sea of red before she was collected into a pair of arms and cradled against a chest, all light fading from her eyes.

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Garrus leaned quietly against a locker outside the medical bay, arms crossed over his chest and eyes tracking the back and forth movements of Sticks. He might not have shown it as much as the other Turian, be he was worried. There was a horrible knot in his chest that made it hard to breathe and he was certain that if he moved just a fraction that the contents of his earlier meal would be scattered across the floor.

It was terrible, waiting and wondering about how she was. He felt utterly helpless and it was the worst feeling Garrus had experienced in his life. If only he hadn't have let his guard down, if he hadn't have let her push him out of the way he could have taken the hit instead. The _what if's_ were endless and it was maddening. His mandibles flared in irritation, legs shifting to redistribute his weight, before he let his head fall back in irritation. Murmurs of the crew and fellow squad mates filled the air as the all waited for an update. His temper flared with every word spoken in question about her. He couldn't stop the rage or the feral want to scream at them all before tearing them limb from limb. Who were they to question Jane Shepard? Who were they to talk about what was his?

The medical bay doors opened with a hiss before Chakwas walked out. He pushed himself from the locker, arms falling to his sides, as he made to step towards the woman.

"How is she?" Sticks asked, beating Garrus to the punch. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Jane's got one cracked rib and her face is a little worse for wear, but she'll be fine. That girl is more resilient than her brother. The biotic charge could have killed her," Chakwas said, giving them both a small smile of reassurance. "She's awake if you would like to see her."

Sticks rushed forward at the words of permission, Garrus staying glued to his spot. He wanted to go in there and see her, but hesitated. When it came to Jane, Sticks had more of a claim than he did and the unmarked Turian was territorial when it came to her. Garrus felt like saying to hell with Sticks, but a physical confrontation between the two would just be harder on Jane at the moment. He knew she didn't need, or would want their macho bullshit. So Garrus stayed put, hands balling into fists as Sticks grew closer to the open doors. The Turian stopped suddenly, looked over his shoulder at Garrus and raised one hard-ridged eyebrow.

"Are you coming or not?"

Garrus' mandibles twitched in surprise at the invitation before he was moving towards the open medical bay doors, instep with Sticks as they entered.

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Jane laid quietly on the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling of the medical bay. Her face throbbed with pain, her body feeling like she had got hit by a runaway taxi on Omega. She tried for a large breath only to have it turn to a hiss when pain shot through her side. Chakwas had patched her up best she could, braced her bad rib so she would be ready for duty, but Jane was still having trouble sitting up in bed. It wasn't the pain keeping her down, hell she'd had worse on Tuchanka before, it was that sudden wave of uncertainty washing over her that kept her pinned to the uncomfortable table.

Jane had thought she had gotten rid of the self-doubt somewhere along this crazy journey, but there it was again, rearing its ugly head at her, when she needed it the least. Her eyes drifted closed as she let out a pain-filled sigh. She knew why the feeling was back, why failure seemed the only thing she could ever accomplish. It was Mahogany. The confirmation that he was still alive and loathed her more than anything had sent her off center and spinning into space, just as he had planned and she knew it to.

_"Yes. Going to retire. Somewhere tropical. Collect seashells."_

Mordin's voice echoed through her aching mind, her eyes fluttering open as her gaze fell from the ceiling and to the computer on Doctor Chakwas' desk. With a grunt she pulled herself into a sitting position, throwing her legs over the table so they dangled in mid-air. Jane couldn't give up. Wouldn't. She would find Mordin and then he would help her save the fucking galaxy after that. Then when it was all over they would collect his damn seashells on every fucking planet that had them.

Her tired eyes caught movement at the open doorway and she immediately looked over, muscles tensing even though Jane knew she was in the safe walls of the Normandy. Sticks walked towards her briskly, Garrus trailing behind him at a slower, more hesitant pace.

"Well I can't say that the butt of that shotgun made any improvement to your face. You went from 'attacked by varren' to…well hell, you look like you got chewed on by a thresher maw," Sticks said as he reached out and gripped her chin in his hand and pulled her face up to get a better look.

Jane laughed lightly, winced and gently moved her chin from his grip. "Is it going to leave a scar?"

"Maybe a little, but I promise I won't love you any less," Sticks said, getting a small smile from her.

"Scars are sexy," Garrus added, voice a deep rumble, "shows people you lived."

"Sometimes I feel like I've lived more than most," Jane said, her voice just above a whisper.

A large hand fell unceremoniously on top of her head, mussing up her already unruly hair further.

"And it's a good one Jane," Sticks said, "even if you don't think so."

"Maybe," Jane commented under her breath.

When the room fell back into silence she looked up, her gaze going over to Garrus and lingering on his face for a moment before she looked up at the form in front of her. Sticks was hovering, like he always did when he was exceedingly worried about her. He could be a mother hen sometimes, and though she might have made it seem like she minded she really didn't. She had felt so unloved after Nihlus died and then she found Sticks.

The feeling that someone cared…it was nice. And now, for the first time in what seemed like forever, more than one person cared about what happened to her and she was going to hold onto that feeling dearly. Alone. She never wanted to feel that way again.

"I'm okay Sticks, I promise. I'll be right as rain soon."

"I never understood that expression," Sticks said with a laugh before taking a step back.

"Me either," Jane said, a tick of a smile coming to her battered lips.

"Well when you got plan B worked out just holler and I'll round everyone up for you," Sticks said, not waiting for a reply as he turned and headed for the exit, hitting the small button on the wall so the door would close behind him. People would still be able to look in, but at least they wouldn't be able to hear them.

Garrus walked up to her the moment the door closed behind her friend, one of his hands reaching out tentatively before resting on one of her knees. She looked away from her worn boots and to his face, a look of sadness and longing brewing in the depths of her eyes. His other hand reached up and cupped her battered cheek and she leaned into his touch, her bruised eyelids fluttering closed.

When had the sudden ease of their affections happen? When Garrus tried to think of the moment he couldn't discover it and found that he didn't care if he ever did. It felt natural and real and right and that was all that mattered to him.

"You saved me, again. I owe you now," Jane said softly, her eyes never opening.

"You don't owe me anything Jane. I would do it again."

Her narrow shoulders rocked slightly, the small laugh soundless. "You sound like one of those knights in the books Johnny…"

Her words trailed the moment her brother's name left her throat. Garrus' eyes narrowed slightly at her quick silence. Garrus found it odd that all he ever heard about John Shepard was positive and at times borderline worship, but the one blood relative the man had never wanted to speak of him at all. Garrus knew Shepard better than anyone, except for maybe the woman in front of him, and it amazed Garrus how different they saw the man.

"Shepard read to you?" Garrus asked boldly. There was silence for a moment before a timid yes breached the air.

"He taught me how to read. Dad never had time for such things."

"Shepard was always good with the Krogan, diplomatic…" Garrus started, but the sad, distracted look he got back had him stopping before he said something foolish.

"He didn't have that skill when we were kids."

Garrus wanted to learn more, but he could tell by the rapid movement and frantic gaze in Jane's eyes that the conversation would not stay on John Shepard.

"I need to think of a plan," Jane said, changing the subject as she finally looked back up at him.

"Hold on to that thought for right now. Kaidan, Liara and I are going to talk to the clan leader. Try to reason with him."

"Do you know him or something?" Jane asked, quirking a brow.

"He's an old friend of ours," Garrus answered.

"Let me guess, a friend of Johnny's too?" When Garrus nodded Jane just shook her head. "I should have known. I can't escape you people."

"We'll talk to him and if he doesn't agree we can think of another plan to get Mordin back."

"Okay, just…be careful, alright."

"I will," Garrus said with promise.

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Garrus stood silently in the open throne room, eyes narrowed and hands clenched into fists. The ruins hadn't changed and even though they had asked for a private audience, they were surrounded by members of clan Urdnot. Kaidan had been adamant that Garrus stayed quiet through the whole meeting hoping that he wouldn't be provoked any more than he already was. But the longer Garrus stood there and listened to Liara and Kaidan drone on and on, Wrex crouching leisurely in his throne, the more and more Garrus wanted to rip that huge turtle's throat out. Their friendship had always been on the shaky side, due to the history that Wrex refused to let go of, but now that delicately built bridge was starting to crumble at an alarming rate.

"If you just allow us to search any of your outlying facilities we could…" Liara started only to be cut off by the rumbled roar of Wrex.

"I won't help a murderer!"

Garrus snapped. He rushed forward, Kaidan jumping in front of him and pressing against his chest to stop him.

"A murderer! What the hell does that make you Wrex? We've all killed people and that doesn't make us murderers!" Garrus yelled.

Wrex flew from his chair, his footfalls echoing off the ruins as he thundered down the stairs. He didn't stop until he had Kaidan pinned between the two of them. His eyes narrowed, a vicious frown coming to his face.

"She is personally responsible for the death of ten Krogan on Tuchanka soil, three that were children and two that were fertile females. She is a criminal and I would have killed her if you hadn't have gone all hero."

"She's Shepard's sister," Kaidan tried to interject.

"That doesn't change anything," Wrex grumbled. "If I catch her on my soil I _will_ kill her, no matter who her brother," his gaze shifted to Garrus, "or her play thing is."

"Wrex," Liara gently said, clutching her casted arm to her chest as she made a step towards them. The korogan around them had tightened the circle.

"No more talking Liara. She's not welcome here and if you keep at it, you lot won't be either." He turned and ascended the steps to his perch, landing in it roughly. "Now leave."

They said nothing as they did as was instructed, not once looking back at their old friend. When they made it to the familiar varren pit Kaidan finally spoke.

"We'll that went well."

Garrus' mandible's flared in irritation. Kaidan's humor had always fallen short with him.

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Jane sat peacefully in the mess hall, a small smile playing at her lips as she watched the three males in front of her. Vega and Sticks had hit it off immediately, falling quickly into jokes and jibes at each other. Feron, the drell they had saved on Eden Prime hadn't taken long to join them, his colorful vocabulary entertaining Sticks as much as the male's jokes did. Legion was sitting beside her, small whirls and clanks of his faceplate filling the air surrounding their position. He had been inquiring about the boys' behavior earlier, but had fallen silent and was now just observing.

"Boys always compare, no matter the species," Kasumi said, amused, as she leaned against the mess hall table next to where Jane and Legion were perched, both of their legs swinging slightly as they dangled over the side. Jane laughed as James gestured toward the zipper of his pants.

"They always want to have the biggest."

"And they always fail to realize that no matter how big it is if they don't know how to use it they might as well have the smallest."

A bark of laughter left Jane, catching Vega's attention. He smiled his large toothy grin, wriggling his brows as her before diving back into the conversation he was having with Feron and Sticks.

"Look," Jane continued, a nagging guilt finally getting the best of her. "I'm sorry about Eden Prime. I shouldn't have left you and Legion."

"You know him don't you? The Shade?" Kasumi inquired, giving Jane a small smile of reassurance when she looked her way. Kasumi couldn't hold it against her. She knew that if she had been in Jane's shoes, and that had been Keiji, she would have done the same thing.

"I did," Jane croaked, "a long time ago."

"Was he a friend?"

"Yes." Jane paused for a moment, swallowing deeply as she looked away. "He was supposed to be dead. Reports said he died in a crash years ago, but there he was, healthy as the day I met him. I had my suspicions. I just didn't want to believe it. I mean they found remains and everything."

Jane knew she was rambling and wanted desperately to stop, but couldn't bring herself to do so. She hadn't talked about him to anyone before, not even Sticks.

"I heard you call him Mahogany. Is that his real name?"

"Yes. Georgie and I called him Maho. He hated it."

Jane fell silent then, a haunted look coming to her bruised face, and Kasumi said no more. She knew what it was like to live with ghosts and sometimes you just wanted to be left alone. Jane didn't get long however before Garrus came storming into the mess hall with Kaidan and Liara nipping at his heels. Jane casually slid from the table, pulling down on the hem of her military issued shirt. She looked to Garrus then to Kaidan, letting out a small defeated sigh.

"I'm guessing it didn't go well," Jane said flatly.

"He refuses to help because of what you did last time you were here," Garrus ground out, looking away from her. He wasn't angry with her, just Wrex…and himself. He should have tried harder, made Wrex see the direness of the situation. He felt a small hand land on his forearm, drawing his attention. Jane was looking up at him, smiling softly.

"What did you do Lola?" Vega inquired. Her head whipped in his direction.

"I followed my orders!" Jane snapped.

"Okay Lola, no need to get snappy," James said, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"We just need to think of another plan," Kaidan interjected, trying to calm the tension. Jane looked to him and nodded before she stepped away from Garrus and quickly went about messing with her omni-tool.

"If we want to get this done we'll have to go unseen. I'll take a small team with me. We'll travel on foot and move mostly at night to cover our movements. Joker the minute we head out I want you to fly out but double back and cloak the ship. Park the Normandy on that plateau about five hundred yards from here. Radio silence, okay? I don't want them picking up on any signal."

"We don't know where to start Jane," Sticks commented, arms crossed over his broad chest.

"I think I might have an idea. When I came here last time with Mordin we utilized a structure called the Shard as one of the ways to implement the new strand of the Genophage. Mahogany…" Jane paused, stumbling slightly with the name, correcting herself, and clicking rapidly on her omni-tool to show a small model of the Shard. "The Shade was also on that mission and if I ever knew him at all I know that's a good candidate for where he will be holding him. It's about twenty clicks from here so we will have to head out as soon as the sun sets, which give us about thirty minutes to prepare. Garrus, Vega, and Kasumi suit up and ready your gear bags. Pack light, we need to travel quickly. "

They nodded before heading in their separate directions to prepare. Jane let out a breath, scratching slightly at her neck before heading for the elevator, the rest of her team looking at her team looking at her in different degrees of dismissal.

"Um, Jane?" Sticks called out, getting her to turn towards him again, one of her delicate brows arched in question. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Take shifts and watch the korgan's movement. If anything seems suspicious take care of it."

"Like kill them?" Kaidan asked, appalled.

"You don't have to kill them Kaidan, just…delay them if you must. You can knock them out just like any other alien."

"But…" Kaidan started, but Jane held up at hand.

"You'll figure it out Kaidan. I trust you."

And with that she turned and disappeared into the elevator, Kaidan blinking rapidly at her words.

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Jane slipped silently from the Normandy, Garrus right behind her. Kasumi and James had slipped out moments earlier, hiding in the shadow of their home. Kasumi looked like nothing but a wisp in the darkness, while James was a domineering shadow. They sidled up to them, Jane looking over her gear one more time. She was carrying an extra weapon with her this time at Sticks' request. It was his beloved grenade launcher.

_"In case you run into any worms."_

It was cumbersome, but Jane would rather deal with the extra weight than to be without it, especially if one of those _worms_ decided to show their face.

"We need to head east from here. I want to cover a good amount of ground before we stop and find shelter. We gotta move fast so if you're not up for it, tell me now."

"We're game Lola, no worries."

Jane nodded in the dark, all lights from their guns out. They were close to the krogan's main center to risk it. She turned and took one step forward before a huge shadow emerged from the tail end of the Normandy. Jane heard guns being drawn from behind her before a deep rumbling voice came from the shadow in front of her.

"I'm not as stupid as you look Garrus."

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Authors note: Whoot! New Chapter! Hope you enjoyed it and the next part whould be coming out March 31st.


	35. Chapter 34

The four looked at the Korgan in surprise, guns drawn down on him. Wrex stood there, an unfazed, hulking mass that seemed to take no notice of the guns. His beady eyes narrowed at her before they went to his old friend standing right behind her.

"You didn't think I would fall for the cloaking trick did you? If I know anything about a Shepard it's that they never give up that easy," Wrex said, voice aggressive.

"Well the varren's out of the bag, but where not leaving without Mordin," Garrus replied, stepping up and slightly in front of Jane to shield her from Wrex's domineering form. He heard a sigh come from her before she pushed past him and stopping only mere inches from the massive Krogan.

They eyed one another, each as tense as the other. Garrus' heart pounded against his ribcage as the tension between the two grew. She looked so small and frail in the shadow of Wrex and though she was trying to hide it, he could still see the slight tremble in her hand as she gripped her pistol at her side.

"Look, I under…" Jane started, but when a low growl came from Wrex her words died and her grip on her gun grew fiercer.

"I don't want to hear it human."

"I won't let you stop me," Jane growled back.

Wrex was silent for a moment, taking the woman in front of him in. he couldn't stop the feeling of wanting to snap her neck then and there for what she did to his people, but that look in her eyes, the look he used to see in Shepard's, pushed back at the violence that was bubbling so close to the surface. And the tremble of fear she was trying to mask? She was stupid…and brave. It reminded him of someone else he'd known.

"And I won't tell you about the mako a mile east from here."

Jane said nothing in return, just an affirmative nod before she put away her gun and motioned for the others to follow her. Garrus stood and watch her disappear into the shadowed night, followed by Kasumi and Vega. His attention went to Wrex then, who was staring at him disapprovingly.

"You always did have a soft spot for anyone with the last name Shepard, Garrus."

Garrus couldn't stop the small tsk sound from escaping him. "It's that obvious?"

"If someone doesn't notice they're blind," Wrex said with a curt laugh.

"And here I thought I was being suave about it."

Wrex laughed louder than, the males falling into silence only to have it interrupted by a whispered female voice saying Garrus' name.

Garrus went to go and as he passed him he heard Wrex's voice ring out one more time.

"Reaper patrols have been sighted. They're not full force yet, but watch your ass Garrus."

"Thanks…friend," Garrus replied before slipping into the night.

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Tuchanka was as ruthless and unforgiving as Jane remembered it. Where there wasn't radioactive rubble there was barren wastelands of red dirt and hurricane winds. And if it wasn't the elements what where trying to kill you it was the carnivorous flora and the aggressive fauna. Thresher Maw's swam under the surface of the planet like fish did in the sea. Even the Krogan feared them and Jane couldn't stop the knot of fear from settling in her stomach. She knew all too well the destruction that Thresher Maws could cause them.

She concentrated on her breathing as they ran across the open plain, her shadow racing along beside her. The labored breathing of James mixed in the sweltering heat of the night with Garrus' heavy footfalls. The mako came into view, large and alone. It seemed singular in its existence as it bathed in the yellow light of the moon. Jane stopped and took a knee, holding her hand up in a fist to signal them to stop. She had to be careful. Wrex had attacked her on sight, and then refused to help her before giving her that little nugget of assistance. She wasn't dumb enough to trust it blindly. The Krogan on Tuchanka hated her. The mako being a trap was in the forefront of her mind as James came to a stop beside her.

"What do you want to do Lola?"

She said nothing for a moment, her suspicious gaze locked on the Mako and its ominous shadow. Jane heard James move towards her a fraction more, his heavy armor scraping on the ground thunderous in the still of the night.

"I'll check it out," Jane replied, turning to look back at all of them. "Stay put, wait for my signal."

They said nothing, just nodded their heads in understanding. Her gaze lingered on Garrus, positioned at the back of the group, his gun at the ready and searching their surroundings for any trouble. He stopped suddenly and held her gaze. It held promises that Jane was afraid she would fail to keep. Jane turned then, flinging her gun over her shoulder and into its holster before she climbed up the massive tires and flung herself up and into the cockpit.

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He hated waiting. Sure, he was given an order to stay and keep an eye on the krogan's movements, but the longer Sticks sat there and looked through the binoculars, the more he it felt like waiting. Waiting, in his humble opinion, was two steps up from dead. And he was nervous, not for himself, but for Jane. Tuchanka had a history with Jane, violent history, and when it came to his friend history always had a funny way of repeating itself.

"So is there something going on with you and the commander?" a voice asked from beside him, throaty and amused. Sticks pulled away from the binoculars and looked to the Drell beside him. Feron had a mischevious look on his face, one that was starting to seem like it was permanently stuck. "I know it isn't my business, but that doesn't dumb down my curiosity."

"We're just friends," Sticks replied with a small laugh, "the sane in her insanity."

"I see."

"What about you and Dr. T'Soni? Something going on between you two?" Sticks inquired, changing the focus to Feron.

"Just friends," Feron replied, getting an uproarious laugh from Sticks. "What's so funny?"

"I've known you for a whole two minutes and I shall believe that…never."

"Look who's talking. You think I'm supposed to believe nothing is going on with you and Jane Shepard? You threatened death to comrades if they didn't bring her back."

Sticks just let out a curt laugh, turned his head and looked back at the small group of Krogan that were milling about.

"You're a master at dodging the matter," Feron grumbled.

"Not dodging, just accepting the facts," Sticks answered as he watched two large Krogan slam heads before breaking into a scuffle. "Oh, Krogan fight! I got fifty on the blood pack Krogan."

"Do you even have fifty credits?"

"No," Sticks answered with an amused twitch of his mandibles.

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Jane landed in a crouch, her eyes scanning the darkness as her hand went instinctively to the pistol at her side. She pulled it from the holster, listened for a moment, and popped on the light at the end of her barrel. She swept it through the cramped cockpit, particles dancing peacefully in the beam of the light. Dust covered everything like a blanket, the control panel looking stone dead and non-responsive. But from what she could tell there was no sign of Krogan tampering. From the state of things it looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Now all she needed to do was check the undercarriage for sabotage and get it started. Travelling in the mako would be much safer than on foot. Sure she could blow a hole in a Thresher Maw with Sticks' grenade launcher, but she could blow a bigger whole with the mako's cannon.

Jane holstered her gun and promptly made for the exit, climbing out and onto the top of the mako.

"Well?" She heard James call out.

"Check the undercarriage for any signs of sabotage. Garrus you think you can get this thing running?"

The soldiers stood, three varying silhouettes in the light of the moon.

"Yeah, I can get her purring in no time."

"Good. Kasumi, you and I will keep watch from up here. James, join us up here when you're done. It's safer off ground."

They all gave their affirmatives and hurried to their task at hand. Jane knew that she might have been over doing it, in fact she hadn't seen a single Thresher Maw the last time she had been on Tuchanka, but just knowing they were there, that an attack was possible, made her more on edge than any horde of Krogan ever could.

Kasumi jumped up soundlessly beside her, pulling out a pair of night vision binoculars and set about sweeping the landscape. The silence of the night was broken by the sounds of Garrus hammering at the control panel, Vega shuffling against the ground in his search for sabotage and Jane's heavy breathing as she waited impatiently for the mako to roar to life. James appeared from under the mako, a smudge of dirt across his nose as he smiled up at her.

"Everything is a go underneath," Vega reported before he pulled his hulky form up onto the tank, plopping down next to Jane.

"Jane there's movement to the left of us," Kasumi said, ripping Jane's attention away from the still western flats and to Kasumi.

"Where?"

"Just to the east of us, it was for a split second. Now it's just… a small cloud of dust. I could be The Shade's men. Or Reapers?"

"Let me see those," Jane commanded, ripping them from Kasumi's offered grasp before raising them to her eyes.

A small could of dust hovered just above the ground, sending a knot of worry to her chest only to have it plummet when she saw the ridge of a back disappear into the ground pointed in their direction. Jane swallowed harshly before handing the binoculars back to Kasumi, all blood draining from her face.

"Are you okay Lola?" James inquired, brow knitted together in concern.

"Get inside the mako. Now," she whispered

"What is it?"

"Just do it," Jane barked, sending the man into motion, his body disappearing inside right before Kasumi. Jane looked out once more to see the beast burst from the earth, silent and deadly, before slipping back out of sight.

"Garrus, sweetie, can you hurry up," Jane called over her shoulder, voice strained, as she watched the Thresher Maw come closer.

"I'm trying my best dear," Garrus grumbled back. The mako rattled to life before dying once more. "It needs a little time to warm up."

Jane jumped inside, landing ungracefully as one of her knees buckled. Quickly correcting herself, she came up beside him.

"We don't have time, we're about to have a very big and unfriendly guest."

His head snapped to her, beady eyes wide as his mandibles twitched.

"Thresher Maw?"

"That would be the one," Jane answered.

"What?!" James exclaimed before he headed for the ladder, climbing up so only his shoulders and head were sticking out the door hatch.

Garrus went back to the panel, his hands moving rapidly. The mako kicked to life once more before it shuttered and died.

"Hurry it up Scars! It's bearing down on us!" Vega yelled, only getting a growl of frustration in return before the engine screamed to life just as a scream from outside sent James back to the cover of the mako, slamming the hatch closed behind him.

"Get us the hell out of here!" James yelled as he stumbled away from the ladder. The tank lurched to life, sending everyone stumbling forward as Jane crawled up into the pilot seat.

"Do you know how to drive this thing?" Kasumi asked as she went for the cannon controls. The mako raced forward, the spinning of the wheels before they caught competing to fill the tank with the sound of the engine.

"Just as good as Johnny," Jane replied as she slammed the thing into third gear.

"That's not comforting," Garrus rumbled from his spot at the control panel.

A nervous laugh slipped from Jane, grip tightening on the wheel of the mako. A bead of sweat trailed from her temple, down her neck and underneath the collar of her armor unnoticed as she shifted into fourth, the headlights bobbing about the landscape as she avoided rocks and ditches.

"It's barreling down on us Jane!" Kasumi reported, her gaze through the view finder of the cannon.

"When it surfaces give it five rounds! That should slow the fucker down!"

Kasumi answered with the sound of the cannon blasting off in quick succession, Jane flinching slightly at the noise.

"Got a direct hit to the side…it's slowing down."

"Good, that will keep it occupied for a while. They don't move so well with big enough holes in them."

"I wouldn't either," James muttered to himself.

Jane let out a breath as she continued to speed across the landscape in the direction of the Shard, towards Mordin, her fear subsiding and bubbling in the throat and coming out in one sharp, ragged laugh.

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Mordin shifted uncomfortably on the stool eyes peering down into the microscope. It was a ruse of course. Mordin and Padok had spliced the Genophage back together days ago, but the Quarian hadn't caught on yet and that was good. He was biding them time, waiting for the rescue he knew was coming. He stopped for a moment and rubbed lightly at bandaged burns around his wrists. He had cleaned them properly, but the failed to heal with the daily torture wrought upon him.

He sighed, blinked, and went back to _work_. He knew she would come, didn't doubt it for a moment. Jane Shepard never let him down.

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Glass crunched under heavy boots, the sound echoing through the abandoned lobby of the Shard. Gun raised and in position, her heart pounded in her chest as her gaze searched the empty space around her. The floor was covered with dirt and broken glass, completely devoid of footprints that where not her own.

Garrus stepped through the frame of a broken window, looking down at the small monitoring unit in his hand, the machine giving off a small beep with every sweep for life it made. There had been no sign of life when they showed up and the closer Jane looked the more evidence appeared that she had been wrong. Mahogany hadn't brought Mordin to the Shard. She looked to Garrus then, trying desperately to show a mask of calm control.

"Well?" She asked, grabbing his attention.

"The only life signs I'm picking up are ours. There's nothing here," Garrus replied.

Jane said nothing, just let out a huff, her head bobbing slightly in agitation as she started to pace. She picked up speed, her breathing and eyes wild as her grip on her rifle grew tighter. Her toe bumped against the leg of a missing chair. Jane stopped, holstered her gun, bent down and retrieved the battered leg. She said nothing as she walked over to the last intact door-sized window. She cocked her arm back, gripping the chair leg two handed as she brought it around and slammed it into the window. The glass webbed at the contact, only bringing her fury again. It held after the second blow, the web growing. The third strike shattered the window, the shards raining down to the ground with an ominous clatter.

"I think I might know where the Shade is keeping Mordin," Kasumi spoke up, grabbing the raving woman's attention. She stood ten feet away from the beaten window, watching Jane patiently.

"Where?" Jane grumbled, brow knitting together.

"When we came here with your brother we went to a lab where tests were being run on female Krogan by an old student of Mordin's. It's the perfect place to continue the work. The lab was intact when we left it."

"How far away is it from here?" Jane asked.

Kasumi paused and took in the landscape, her small hand pointing at a small gathering of hills that were shaped like an elcor. "There. Should take an hour maybe."

Jane was moving the moment Kasumi stopped talking, her stride strong and hurried, shoulders hunched forward as she still held onto the leg of the chair.

"Let's go. We don't have any more time to waste."

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Mordin crashed against the lab table, knocking over beakers and his microscope. The beakers burst when they hit the floor, shards flying in every direction. He slipped on spilled fluid and slammed down hard, face sliding into the broken glass.

"You're lying; there is no way it should have taken the two of you so long to put the Genophage back together. You're stalling," Kalli said, her fist still clenched from when she had struck Mordin, catching him off guard.

She went to step towards his fallen form only to be blocked by a large mass stepping in front of him. The female Krogan was domineering as she leered down at the small Quarian through the slits in her hood.

"You will not harm him anymore," The female Krogan said, her voice exuding the commanding presence that the rest of her held.

Kalli took a step back, pulling her gun out in a quick draw before she pointed it at the Krogan. Padok scrambled from his chair at the other work station across the small lab, tripping on the stools leg before coming to a stop in front of the Krogan with his arms held wide.

"Stop this nonsense please!" Padok yelled.

Kalli began to laugh, the soft sound coming mechanically through her helmet. It chilled the room, freezing the other three in their spot. It would have been easy for the three of them to overpower her, but they knew that one of them would be killed and they knew it would be the female Krogan. She was everything, the key that they had needed to cure the Genophage all those months ago and Mordin and Padok would not risk her life in order to get free.

An alarm blared through the lab, drawing all their attention to the monitors for the perimeter of the compound. The place was monitored like a fortress; unlike it had been when Mordin had come with Shepard. The Shade liked to cover his bases a lot more than Mahogany ever had. One of the cameras had caught the sight of an old Mako barreling towards the entrance of the compound. Two guards shot wildly at the thing as it approached at an alarming speed, but the bullets bounced off harmlessly and the thing didn't slow down. The mako swerved, coming up a sliding stop in front of the entrance door, running over the guards effectively. The thing disappeared for a moment behind a haze of dust. As the haze started to dissipate a figure could be seen standing atop the mako. Medium built and covered in scarred battle armor her hair flapped wildly in the increasing wind as she reached out and pulled a grenade launcher from its secure place on her back. She loaded it and fired. The front airlock doors busted wide at the explosion. She returned the launcher and replaced it with her battle rifle, smoke billowing in the air around her.

She looked to the camera then as a bigger figure crawled out of the mako behind her. Her eyes narrowed and though the picture feed was pixilated and grey it did not take away any of the menace that was in the woman's gaze. Mordin smiled from his place on the floor and the curse from Kalli pierced the pregnant silence.

Jane Shepard was coming and she was bringing death with her.

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Author's Note: Yay! It's early! This chapter was a pain in the ass, but I didn't give up even when my keyboard broke. Hope you enjoy it and that you stick around because all hell is about to break loose in the next chapter. And thanks for the reviews and the favorites. I love them both.


	36. Chapter 35

She stood, back against the wall, her rifle clutched in tight to her chest as a volley of bullets slammed into the paneled wall that was providing cover. Garrus was tucked in tight beside her. He was popping in a new heat sink, the spent cartridge of the other falling and bouncing off the toe of his boot before rolling out of cover. Kasumi and Vega were across the opening, Vega leaning out and firing as Kasumi crouched beside him and reloaded her pistol. Jane took a steading breath before leaning out and firing at the opposing force that was blocking her from getting to what she wanted.

A bullet slammed into a batarian, the male reeling back violently before he dropped to the ground to join the growing dead. Two males were hunkered down behind a pile of crates, their cover irritatingly good. Jane let out a frustrating growl as she went back to cover and fell to a knee beside Garrus. She popped the spent heat sink before slamming in another.

"This is taking to fucking long!" Jane said trough gritted teeth, Garrus' bulky form leaning over her as he returned fire. "How many are left?"

"Just the two," Garrus replied as he came back to cover. Jane looked up to him for a moment, grey eyes swirling with anger and a deep uncertainty. The corner of her mouth ticked upward for the briefest of moments before she stood and put her rifle back in its holster.

"Cover me," She said, her voice hoarse before she turned and bolted through the opening.

He watched as she raced forward, jumping and skidding across the top of the crates and behind the enemies cover. Surprised by her actions the two men stood in alarm. Her omni-blade materialized as she brought her arm around, nailing the first man across the throat before going for the next. The orange blade impaled into the man's chest, cutting through his armor as if it were made of paper. The two men dropped, Jane heaving as she stood looking down at her quarry. Garrus swallowed as she looked back towards them.

"Damn Lola," James said as he came out of cover and started towards Jane. He was smiling crookedly at her, a glint in his dark eyes. "You haven't lost your touch."

Garrus' mandibles flared in irritation, his hackles rising as he finally stepped out from observing. He wasn't sure how much he liked this Vega character, especially this past he had with Jane. Territory, he definitely felt an encroachment on his territory.

Jane ignored the comment as pulled out her rifle and looked towards Kasumi.

"How much farther?" She asked.

"There's a slope up ahead and once we pass that the lab should be a few more corridors. You can't miss it," Kasumi replied, getting a nod from Jane.

"Kasumi take point from here. Garrus stay with her. James and I will bring up the rear," Jane commanded as she checked over her weapon one more time.

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There were things that came to one's mind when they feared that the end was coming for them and there was no way to stop it. The cockiness, pride and false fearlessness fades away into the basic emotions that you feel when you're a child; fear and helplessness.

Fear gripped tightly in Kalli's chest as she tried desperately to squash it down and cover it with her bravado, but as the gunfire grew louder the harder it was to contain it. The Shade had known that Jane would come for the Salarian and had left Kalli to die at the hands of a woman that she had repeatedly wronged. All those words he had whispered to her when she gave herself to him, the acceptance she thought she had from him…it was a lie. She had been a means to an end and now as an explosion rocked outside the lab and the Salarian watched her from across the room, that fear and helplessness devoured her whole. A pawn in a game she had never been fit to play. She should have listened to her mother. She should have stayed on her pilgrimage. She should not have fallen for the red-headed man that offered her everything at that bar on Noveria. He had killed her, just as much as she had. Just as much as Jane Shepard was going to.

The glass to the lab shattered into the room, accompanied by a blinding light that sent her staggering as she tried to shield herself.

Kalli could still remember the day she met the Shade, Mahogany, in that bar. She had been on the first year of her pilgrimage. He was tall, strapping, with that hair and those eyes and a crooked smile that made her blush in her envirosuit. She had fallen for every word, like poisonous poetry to her ears.

Four figures stormed into the room, breaking through a cloud of dust. Jane was at the forefront of the flock, her eyes narrowed as they landed on Kalli, piercing through her envirosuit, through her flesh and into her soul. Kalli went for her pistol, but at the sight of Jane's shoulders stiffening she stopped and before she could stop herself she turned and ran down the small corridor through the back of the lab.

And as she ran, and the sound of thunderous steps pursuing her, all she could think about was her mother, the look on her mother's face the last time she had seen her. It had been through a holovid when she was on her pilgrimage.

_"Don't fall for the first male who offers you the stars_," her mother had said and that was exactly what she did.

The thunderous feet overtook the pounding of her heart right before she was tackled to the ground, her face slamming into the bottom of the corridor. Kalli scrambled to get free, but when her head was slammed back into the ground a second time she faltered. A hand grabbed onto her shoulder and whipped her onto her back.

And then there it was. Death. Staring her in the face. Grey eyes cold and jaw hard.

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Jane's breath heaved in her chest as she held the Quarian down. She had seen the state of Mordin and Padok before she had chased off after the Quarian. Tortured. They had been tortured and the very thought of it had Jane's blood in an insane boil. Rage ripped at the fiber of her being as she cocked back an arm before slamming it into the glass of the helmet. A scream ripped from her throat as she brought her fist down again and again until the glass gave way and exposed the Quarian to the elements.

Kalli was a pale blue, her green eyes half lidded as she struggled to breath from Jane's knees digging into her chest. The broken glass had cut at her face, new cuts and blood ruining the beauty that had once been there. Black hair hung limply in the helmet, around her face. Her eyes squeezed shut once before opening and revealing a well of tears that were being held back poorly. Jane gritted her teeth at the sight.

Tears. The Quarian didn't deserve to cry, didn't deserve sympathy after what she had done to Mordin, what she had done on Virmire. Kalli's breath became ragged as she let out a broken sob. She was terrified, it swam in her eyes as she stared up at Jane, waiting, pleading for it all to stop. Jane brought her fist down again, breaking the girl's nose.

Kalli screamed as blood poured from her nose into her mouth. She choked and coughed the fluid flying up and onto Jane's chin. Her arms grabbed at Jane pathetically, trying to push Jane away from her. Jane just smacked her arms away. The tears came then, rolling the rage in Jane's stomach, making it intensify. Jane pulled her pistol from her side and stuck it down onto Kalli's cheek.

"Please…" Kalli sobbed, "don't."

Jane gritted her teeth and pushed down harder on the gun. Kalli's looked up at her panicked for a moment before her eyes drifted close, pushing out the tears that had been pooling in the corner of her eye.

Jane put pressure on the trigger.

"Mommy," Kalli whispered.

Jane faltered and quickly scrambled to her feet. She held the gun pointed down at the Quarian, hand shaking as images flashed rapidly through her brain. Akuze. Sitting alone and dying in a command tower. Pain. A whispered word. _Johnny._

"Mommy."

The whisper came again. Jane stood there staring down at the Quarian, a cruel and frightening reminder of times past and buried fears. Kalli's eyes never opened, the blood pulled in her mouth and the sound of Jane's gun going off deafened.

Jane staggered away from the body, staring for a moment before she holstered her pistol with a shaky hand. She turned away then and faced the way she had come, squaring her shoulders and chasing the shake away with a balling of her fist at her side.

Then she started running back towards the lab; towards Garrus, Mordin and Padok, Kasumi and Vega. Towards Friends. Towards safety…sanity.

And the broken voice chased her, clawing at her back, her heart. One broken, scared word whispered over and over in her head, her voice.

_Johnny._

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Garrus stood in the doorway of the lab, keeping an eye on the hallway as the others talked behind him. The grenades that they had thrown in their haste to get to Mordin and the others had weakened the integrity of the support beams of the small underground lab and its many pathways. A small stream of dirt fell to the floor as the ceiling shifted.

Hurried footfalls echoed behind him and he turned swiftly as the others in the room fell silent, his attention going to the passage Jane had disappeared down in chase of the Quarian. He took a step forward as her figure took shape out of the gloomy lighting. She was panting, face paler than normal and a distant look in her eye.

"Did you catch her?" Vega asked from his place beside Padok Wiks who was trying to gather as much data onto his omni-tool as possible.

Jane's eyes shifted to Garrus then, that distance turning into guilt before she looked away from him and to the toe of her boots as she gathered her voice. She looked up after a moment, her jaw set and eyes turning uncharacteristically hard.

"I took care of it." Her voice was so full of finality that even Vega didn't ask for any further explanation. "Are you okay Mordin?" She finished as she stepped into the room, coming to a stop by the large female Krogan as if afraid to approach her oldest friend.

A small smile came to his battered face as he nodded his head. "Had better days. Will live. Knew you would come."

There was a subtle shift to Jane's face; her brows ticking together, the right corner of her mouth dropping, but her eyes…they grew dark and sorrowful and regretful.

"I should have been here faster."

Mordin took in a sharp breath before waving a hand dismissively. "Arrived on time. If earlier never would have finished."

"Did you finish it? A cure?" Jane asked, her eyes pleading.

The Krogan watched her intently, her eyes barely visible through the shroud that covered her head. Mordin blinked once, not looking surprised in the slightest. It was not something that could be said of the other scientist.

"How did you know we worked on a cure?" Padok said as he finally looked away from his omni-tool.

"Your sister told me."

Padok tsk'd before a warm smile came to his face at the thought of his sister. "She was never good at keeping secrets."

"Oh, I think she's pretty good at it," Jane mumbled under her breath as she shifted slightly in her spot, casting quick glances at the Krogan female who continued to observe her, but stay silent. "Have we had any more hostile activity?"

"No, but the structure of the building seems compromised. We should get moving as soon as pos…" Garrus started, but a low, deep rumble cut off his words. Everyone in the room froze in anticipation, hands clenched tightly around their guns. The room fell silent again.

"Okay lets…"

The room shook violently, dirt and concrete falling from the cracked ceiling. Jane looked up, a scream ripping from her throat as the shaking intensified and the room filled with an avalance of sound. She reached for the Krogan and pushed her out of the way before she stumbled back, narrowly avoiding the ceiling from falling down on top of her.

Garrus ran for the mountain of ceiling that now lay where Jane had just been, separating her from the rest of them. Dust billowed through the air as his rifle dropped to the ground, his long fingers reaching out for the rubble in front of him. he just made out the figure of Vega coming up beside him before he yelled out in panic.

"Jane! Jane, are you alright?!"

He waited for an answer, his hands clawing at the debris. It shifted dangerously as the room trembled again, Garrus freezing in his actions.

"I'm fine, just a little scratch. Nothing permanent. Is everyone okay on your side?" Jane asked, her voice muffled by the mound of debris.

Garrus looked over his shoulder to check before looking back to the obstruction in front of him. "Yeah, everyone's fine. Just give us a minute and we'll have you out of there."

He started at the pile again. He only pulled out two pieces before the room vibrated again, the mound threatening to fall on top of them.

"Stop!" Jane yelled, "Just stop. It isn't safe. I can go back out that tunnel. It has to lead out of here or she wouldn't have run down it to escape. You need to get the others back to the Normandy Garrus. I'll find my way out of here."

"Jane," Garrus pleaded.

"Garrus please," Jane replied, "just trust me, okay."

He hesitated for a moment as his chest clenched tightly, making it hard to breathe. That feeling was happening to him a lot lately.

"I trust you Jane."

"Good!" he heard her yell before he heard the sound of feet running away from the mound and down the corridor. Then he heard her voice one more time, faintly. "I'll see you at home!"

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Jane ran through the tunnel, following the twists and turns blindly. She hadn't paused when she had passed the Quarian's body, hadn't looked back. Jane just kept running forward, waiting for that dim light of the morning sun to creep into the tunnel and show her the way out. She made a left and natural light spilled onto the dirt floor, guiding her to the surface. She breathed deeply as she came to an abrupt stop, the Tuchanka sun warming her skin. She inhaled deeply one more time before activating her omni-tool and putting it to scan for the signal of the Normandy.

Her omni-tool beeped as it latched onto the signal of the Normandy, her heart sinking a little when it showed the distance. Seventy-five clicks south of her position. She checked for the position of the Mako, but it was already too far out and Jane wouldn't have them turn around. Her gaze looked out at the barren landscape laid out in front of her, fear gripping at her belly. That was a lot of Thresher Maw land to cover on foot and the only heavy weaponry she had was Stick's grenade launcher and her ammo for that was slim. Two rounds. Dammit, she was in a tight spot. But then again it wouldn't be the first time.

Jane shut off her omni-tool before she headed out, the sun no longer friendly, but unforgiving. She hadn't made it two steps before a glint of metal drew her attention. Sitting next to the entrance to the tunnel was a motorcycle; two stroke, old but in good shape and a dark shade of purple. It was something she never believed that she would see on Tuchanka. Krogan's didn't ride two-wheelers…but a Quarian just might. A smile blossomed on her face as she made her way over to it, rubbing a gloved hand over the black seat.

"Hello beautiful," Jane whispered, "it's been awhile since I've ridden one of you."

She threw a leg over the seat and settled herself before finding the ignition. No key required, just a button to bring the thing to life. It purred beneath her, bringing back memories of races in back allies, her brother collecting bets against her, and the taste of chocolate ice cream and victory on her tongue. Jane reached up and pressed the small button at the collar of her armor, her helmet enveloping her head in protection. She twisted the throttle once, twice before flipping up the kickstand and racing south towards the Normandy.

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A ravine loomed in front of her, wide, daunting and about forty feet across. A single piece jutted out about twenty feet, crumbling, as if at one time it had been a natural bridge but worn down by time and the wind. It was the first landmark Jane had seen since she had started out an hour ago, the heat of the day making her sweat profusely under all the armor and her helmet. Jane felt the first prickles of unease race down her spine as she sped along the open terrain. She tried to chalk it up as paranoia, one she had carried since Akuze, but when a puff of red dust burst into the air to her left, that prick of paranoia turned into confirmation.

Jane pulled on the throttle, pushing out the last of the speed the motorcycle had. Dirt rained down on her as the Thresher Maw broke ground ten feet away from her, the scream of the monster overpowering the engine of the cycle. The motorcycle jerked as Jane dodged the massive body of the creature, loosing speed as she struggled to keep the thing from tipping over. Her boot connected with the ground, dragging alongside as she sped off.

It rose again, this time to her left, its massive body rubbing against her back tire and sending her into a violent wobble. Jane slowed corrected and continued. She sent a quick glace back over her shoulder just to see the thing dive back underground to follow.

Jane knew that if she didn't think of something she was never going to make it back to the Normandy. Her mind whirled, the synapses' in her brain firing on all cylinders and she couldn't stop a small smile of shaky confidence from forming on her sweaty face.

It was now or never.

Jane made a quick correction in direction before racing for that outcropping of land that spilled out over the ravine, the engine screaming from the strain. The earth became unstable as the Thresher Maw got closer; almost underneath her as the front tire of the motorcycle hit the beginning of the outcropping. She revved the engine, squeezing every last inch of power out of it. The back tire began to wobble as the Maw continued after her.

Her front tire left the outcropping as Jane reached behind her and pulled out Sticks' grenade launcher. She became airborne as the motorcycle dropped from beneath her, Jane continuing forward from the momentum of the jump. She torqued her body around just in time to see her plan come together.

The Thresher Maw erupted out of the end of the outcropping, mouth wide and long tongue wagging as it screamed at her. Jane fired the two remaining explosives in quick succession into its opening mouth as the thing flew towards her.

It exploded in a burst of flesh and blood, the blast sending her body away from the flaming carcass. Jane slammed into the ground across the ravine, rolling violently before coming to a stop against a small mound of red dirt. Air rushed from her lungs at the impact, Sticks' launcher falling from her grasp and skidding into a bush. She gasped as she searched for the button at her collar, the helmet retracting as she sucked in as much air as she could.

Jane heaved for a moment, pale eyes to the blue sky as her brain processed it all. Then she began to laugh, frantic and joyous. She was alive, worse for wear, but alive. She screamed in relief, her laugh continuing as she pulled herself off the ground. Jane stumbled slightly before regaining her balance. She looked down at herself as something heavy and wet slid down her cheek.

She was covered in Maw.

Jane shrugged the fact off, wiping at her face as she took a few steps forward, bending down and reaching into a bush to pull out Sticks' launcher and holster it. Facing down Thresher Maws was one thing and facing Sticks after losing his grenade launcher was another. She'd rather kiss the worm.

The laughter died as she looked out at the great expanse in front of her, brow knitting together at the view. It was still a long way to go before she got back to the Normandy and with that much land just meant that much more chances to run into another Maw. Jane groaned at the odds, but it didn't stop her feet from moving forward. They might have been small, but they were still odds. It seemed like she had only been walking ten minutes before a line of dust kicked up into the air, freezing Jane in her spot. She reached back for her rifle even though she knew the rounds would nothing more than bounce off the side of the damn thing. With no place to hide and no way to outrun it she stood and waited, her rifle at the ready. The ground began to rumble as it got closer, the image swimming in the heat. Her eyes narrowed as it got closer. The sound of an engine broke the silent waiting and Jane sighed heavily as the Mako headed right for her. It came to a dramatic stop in front of her, showering Jane with dirt and dust as it slid to a halt in front of her. The latch at the top banged open and a familiar Turian came into view. He smiled down at her, purple eyes blazing.

"Did you run into some trouble Jane?"

She laughed tiredly. "Oh, you know me Sticks. Attract it like flies. Is it just you in that tin can or did you bring the Calvary?"

"Well, I wanted to be a hero and come by myself, but Garrus wouldn't let me. Romantic notion, no doubt. So," Sticks said, a playful look coming to his face, "need a lift?"

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"Wrex, would you just listen to what Liara is saying!" Kaidan exclaimed desperately. He had been arguing with the Krogan for two hours, caution going to the wind when Joker had picked up a Reaper close to breaking the atmo of Tuchanka. The old Krogan was being stubborn though, as always. "Your planet won't be spared by the Reapers. They will kill us all, even the Krogan. The only chance we have of beating them is if we all join together and fight."

"He's right," a voice rang out, booming through the ruins where Wrex sat on his broken throne.

Kaidan looked towards the voice, Wrex standing in protest as other Krogans screamed in outrage at her presence. Jane descended the ramp, Mordin following her closely. She had nixed bringing backup, but the look on her face told Kaidan that she wouldn't need it.

"The only way to stay alive is to be together on this," Jane said.

Wrex growled down at her, all eyes locked on the brown haired warrior in the room. She was small surrounded by so many Krogan, but the set of her shoulders and the raised tilt to her head made her look like a giant, a hero from one of Ashley's poems. Kaidan smiled as pride welled in his chest. Jane Shepard reserved his respect and he would give it.

"Of all people, why would we listen to you human?" Wrex asked aggressively.

Jane looked to Mordin who handed her something. She turned and tossed the small vial to Wrex. He caught it easily, opening his large hand and looking down at the thing in his hand.

"What is it?"

"It's a cure. To the Genophage."

Silence fell on the dilapidated hall before a billowing laugh rang out.

"And you expect me to trust you, a murderer of my people!" Wrex bellowed.

"She does not lie to you."

Wrex and Jane looked to the female standing next to the old Krogan. It was the female she had rescued with Mordin. She ascended the stares gracefully for a creature her size, coming to a stop in front of Jane.

"I worked with this Salarian and another on a cure. It was found and they made it while you sat bickering with other clan leaders. This woman gave the cure to you freely, a cure I risked my life on to save my people, you should accept it without question."

The female turned then, looking back at Wrex as all eyes fell on him.

"Think what you will Urdnot Wrex. Yes, I have killed your people, just as you have killed mine. But now I saved them. Something I chose to do because it was right. Now it's your choice, but even with that cure your people are all going to die if you don't help us fight the Reapers. They're coming for us, all of us and I plan to stand up to them and burn as many as I can before I die. You may call me murderer, but you owe this murderer a favor and when the time comes I expect to see the Krogan there at the final assault. You fight or you die, there is no middle ground on this."

Jane fell silent, the determination in her gaze burning. Kaidan waited, but when Wrex failed to give response Jane let out a tsk before she turned and headed out the way she had come. Kaidan looked up at his friend one more time disappointment clear on Kaidan's tired face.

"Wait Jane Shepard."

Jane turned, face blank. The female Krogan approached her, stopping at arm's length.

"My name is Bakara and I have heard many stories about you from Mordin. If it was not for you I would have perished in that lab and now you have saved my people. The Krogan owe you a great debt and when the time comes I can promise you that the Krogan will come," Bakara said. Jane looked from her and to Wrex. The male showed no sign of disagreement at her promise. Bakara reached for her neck, unclasping a necklace. It had a small crystal dangling on a heavy piece of fabric. "I wish for you to have it. It guided a path for me when I was in a dark place. May it do the same for you when the time comes."

Jane accepted the gift, her fist clenching around the gift.

"Thank you," Jane said, tilting her head slightly in respect. Jane turned then and headed back up the ramp, artificial light illuminating her in a grace he had never seen before.

A murderer. A soldier.

When she reached the top of the ramp her shoulders rolled forward.

Broken.


	37. Chapter 36

_Jane crouched behind the empty food crates, breathing ragged as she tried to catch her breath. She had been running from them, for what seemed like hours, after they had caught her stealing apples in their territory. But she was hungry, Johnny was hungry, and had been for days. With not even one credit to the Shepardname fast hands and faster feet were the only things that put food in their bellies after their father had abandoned them four months ago._

_The light was dim in the old warehouse, the darkness offering a reprieve from the sweltering Arizona sun. Sweat trickled down her dirt-streaked face, teeth biting into chapped lips as she waited to see if she had lost the pack of teens that were after her. The sound of running feet broke the labored silence, sending Jane further back into her hiding spot and her small hand up to cover her mouth and stifle her breathing._

_"__I saw her come in here," a young female voice yelled out, "just spread out and look. The little brat is hiding in here somewhere!" _

_The kids spread out, the sound of thundering feet keeping Jane hidden in fear, mouth covered and heart pounding._

_She waited, shoulders tense, for what seemed like forever before a rustle atop the crates. Her eyes tore away from the concrete floor and to the origin of the noise. Perched atop her cover a boy about thirteen was crouched, leering at her, his think mouth cracked into a vicious smile that advertised his tiny yellow teeth. _

_"__Looky, looky," he sang aloud, "I found a cookie."_

_Jane scrambled away from him as he jumped down from the crates. He stalked towards her, four more kids appearing around him, all of them more menacing than the next. Her heart hammered as they circled around her and she couldn't stop the tears that started to fall from her stinging eyes, blurring the yellow-toothed boys face as he began to laugh._

_"__Now it's time for your lesson," he said, reaching out for her with one dirty hand._

_The pressure that had been building up in her chest shattered and broke free at the movement, one word ripping from her small frame and echoing through the warehouse._

_"__Johnny!"_

_The group fell into silence as the echo quieted. They looked around momentarily before they started giggling at her, their voices forming a chorus that was interrupted by the sound of quick approaching feet. The yellow-tooth boy turned quickly towards the noise before he was tackled to the ground. They narrowly missed Jane as they slammed against the concrete floor, skinny limbs tangling together as they each tried to gain the upper hand. The taunting boy was pinned quickly, a grunt escaping him as the other boy sat on his stomach and sent a punch to his face ferociously._

_"__Johnny,"Jane exclaimed as she scrambled to her hands and knees._

_John's brown hair hung in his grey eyes, hiding a black eye he had gotten from a kid on Ninth Street. He swung his bruised hand down again, making contact before he was dragged off the boy by his friends._

_Johnny struggled to get free as they encircled him, lashing his arms side to side in attempt to lose their grasp on his arms. He ripped one arm free and quickly elbowed one kid before bringing his fist around and slamming it into the kid's face who had a hold of him. The boy screamed and let go, Johnny stumbling from his grasp and preparing himself for the next one. _

_Jane watched as his chest heaved, eyes narrowed as the teenagers circled him like a pack of wolves. Johnny's hands drew into fists at his sides, his mouth drawn in a thin line as his eyes tracked them. A kid in a raggedy red shirt made the first move, lashing out wildly. Johnny dodged the blow, sending a counter into the boys ribs. Movement behind her brother caught Jane's attention. The girl in the group lashed out from behind, kicking Johnny violently in the knees. Johnny pitched to one side before correcting himself, turning and pushing the girl away from him, a blue glow emanating from his open palm._

_The five stopped, stared, before they rushed him. Jane watched as they fell on him, her small hands scraping across the concrete as she watched. Johnny fought furiously, like a turbulent wind, making every part of him a weapon. It was over as soon as it started, Johnny standing above five groaning deviants. Jane couldn't help the smile that came to her face when Johnny looked at her and winked with his swollen eye. She ran to him then, hugging him around the middle as she collided with him._

_"__You came," She breathed. His hand came down and rested on her tangled hair, a small tired laugh escaping him._

_"__Of course I came," Johnny said, "I promised I would come whenever you called for me."_

_Jane pulled away from him then and looked up, her dirty face streaked with tears. She smiled widely before she spoke, "Guess what I got."_

_"__The best brother in the universe?"_

_"__No…Yes…but that's not what I meant," Jane paused when he looked at her expectantly. Her hands dove into a small pouch and pulled something out, "Apples!"_

_Johnny smiled sweetly down at her before ruffling her hair, "You did good kid, but let's get out of here. There are some people that want to talk to us, that say they can help us. How does that sound?"_

_"__Good,"she replied as she handed him an apple and followed him out of the warehouse without question._

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Jane awoke with a sharp intake of breath, heart weighing heavily in her chest. A wave of emotion hit her, pinning her to the small bed. She felt like she was sinking into the mattress and breaking into millions of pieces, stardust to be scattered into the cosmic wind.

_"__Not yet Jane. Not yet."_

Jane's eyes snapped open at the sound of her brother's voice, rimmed red and stinging with tears. Her hands grasped at the sheets beneath her, a shaky breath rattling from her heaving lungs.

"Shit," Jane gasped, teeth gritting in aggravation. She sat up slowly before throwing her legs over the side of the bed. Her boots hit the ground with a soft thud, the sound echoing the room like a gunshot. Jane's hands clenched momentarily as she made her way towards the door of her cabin.

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The doors to the Tech Lab hissed open, a soft humming filtering through the room as Jane stepped over the threshold. Mordin was sitting on a small stool by his lab table, head bent over his datapad as he typed away furiously. A large medi-gel bandage adorned his right cheek. The cut had been deep, infected and in need of stitches. And it would leave a scar to match the other on his face. He paid no mind though as he continued to hum cheerily as if the ordeal that he had just gone through had never happened. She never understood how he could get over things so quickly, but he had told her once that with a limited lifespan dwelling on things was a waste of the precious time he had.

Jane made her way to the table, pulling out the stool across from him and sitting down silently. She watched for a moment, the familiar song slipping through his thin lips comforting and heartbreaking in the same instant.

"I…dreamed about him," Jane whispered, drawing Mordin's attention away from his datapad and to her.

"Nihilus?" Mordin asked as he pushed the equipment away from him without another glance.

"No, Johnny. It was about the time in the warehouse, when his biotics manifested for the first time."

"Yes. Stole apples. You don't usually dream of him."

Jane paused, her eyes looking up at Mordin's large ones warily. He had an expectant look on his face; patient and soft…kind in ways that when she first met him didn't think he possessed.

"I killed that Quarian girl, Kalli, when she ran from me. She…" Jane paused and looked away from Mordin as her lower lip began to quiver. She bit down on it painfully as her eyes squeezed shut. "She was calling for her mother. Calling out for her as if she was going to come and save her. It was just… it was like I was looking down at myself, that helpless eight year old girl that always called out for her brother to come and save her… I killed her Mordin. I killed her and didn't need to."

"Guilt caused dream. Do not feel guilt for ones you kill. You will never sleep."

Jane was silent for a moment, her eyes drifting back towards her friend. He smiled at her faintly, the bandage crinkling at the motion.

"I just… I was so angry and…I was afraid at that moment."

"Tough call. Would have done the same," Mordin added quickly. "We all do actions that we regret. Live with that regret. Become better because of it."

A small snort escaped her, heavy shoulders rolling slightly.

"Thank you Mordin," Jane started, "for not giving up on me."

"No need," he replied. "Never let me down."

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Jane walked out of the tech lab silently, a small smile ghosting her lips as she made her way to the galaxy map. Red dots blazed in the sea of white and blue, distress signals crying out for someone to save them. Her heart clenched momentarly in her chest. No matter how much she might want to, Jane knew she couldn't save them all. She leaned against one side of the railing, arms crossed over her chest and and the rail digging into the small of her back.

"Excuse me," a voice rang out, snapping Jane to attention. She pushed herself from the railing hastily, head whiping towards the unfamiliar voice.

A blue asari was standing by the steps of the galaxy map platform, looking up at Jane patiently and expectantly. Freckles were spread across her dainty nose and Jane couldn't stop the small swell of jealousy from forming in her stomach. Sometimes it seemed like everyone had freckles except for her.

"You must be Liara T'Soni," Jane finally said in acknowledgment.

"And you are Jane Shepard," Liara said in return with a slight nod of her head.

"Sorry I haven't properly introduced myself sooner. I just...friends disappearing...reapers. you know what I mean?"

"I do," Liara replied shortly as she made her way up the few steps to the platform to stand next to Jane. "Besides I know all about you."

"My brother?" Jane said with a wince.

"John never mentioned you. But I'm a information broker and if i didn't know what i needed to about you then i wouldn't be very good at what I do."

"I guess you're right on that aspect. So Liara I feel that you have something to share with me or you wouldn't have sought me out at this hour."

Liara gave a small smile before she tapped down swiftly on her datapad. The galaxy map flickered before it was replaced by a schematic. Jane's eyes narrowed as she stepped forward, her hands coming to rest on the railing in front of her. It was a spindly spiral of blue light, hair thin trindles streatching out from the core of the thing. And it plused in a three rhythmic beat as if it were alive and the core of it, a small, dense ball the size of a tangarine, burned bright as a sun.

"What is it?" Jane asked, tranfixed by the beating thing that hovered in front of her.

"We're not sure yet. It was what we were looking for on Eden Prime. I believe it could be a weapon to fight the Reapers, though i do not know what kind. That's what I am working on now. Hackett wanted me to keep this a secret from you, for now at least, but the council made you the spearhead on this mission and it will only be detremental for me to keep you in the dark. I will not keep anything from you that could endanger the mission."

"Like the fact that you're the Shadow Broker?" Jane said, looking away from the spiral and to Liara.

"Did Garrus tell you that?" Liara asked, one delicate brow arched knowingly.

"Yep," Jane said, "but thank you for telling me and please continue to keep me posted." Jane paused for a moment as her gaze found its way back to the pulsing light. Such a repetitive, rhythmic beat. "Do you think it could be some type of algorithm. Something synthetic maybe?"

"Possibly," Liara answered.

Jane looked to her and she pushed herself from the railing. "Do you think Legion would be able to help you with it?"

"He could definitely read the mathematical code," Liara said, ideas whirling in the depths of her blue eyes. "Glyph would appreciate the help."

"Good. I'm sure he will be anxious to help. Just..."

A bing sounded from jane's private terminal, cutting her off abruptly. Her brow furrowed in confusion before she excused herself and walked down the steps to the small terminal to the left of the galaxy map. She punched in her code quickly and a message popped up from the last person she thought she would hear from so soon.

_Get a hold of me immediately. It's urgent. -Aria_

00000000000000000

Anderson leaned heavily against the broken piece of parking structure, his old hands wrestling with the packaging of rations. He hadn't slept in 72 hours and hadn't eaten in almost twenty-four. it was a mess on Earth and even though he had made it through the first contact war, had fought tooth and nail during it, that blur from the past didn't compare to what he was facing now. He couldn't decide if it was his old age that was getting to him, his weary bones, or the fact that Jane was out there fighting to and all he could do was sit on this rock and hope for news of her progress.

The communication towers had gone out three days ago and he hadn't heard any word on her status. It was starting to grate on him. Anderson had never gotten the chance to get married and have his own children, something he had secretly always wanted, but somewhere along the way he had come to think of the Shepard children as if they were his own. He wasn't exactly sure when it had happened, but somewhere along the way John and Jane had both wormed their way into his heart with those lop-sided grins they reserved for those closest to them. And John was gone now, only Jane left, and the thought of losing her to made him physically ill.

The ration bag tore in his hands, his dark eyes gazing down to look at the dry contents. Water was supposed to be added, but water was scarce and for drinking, not for making his food more edible. A rustling sounded off in front of him, a rock skidding towards a pile of rubble as if it had been kicked by an invisible force. the rations dropped from his hands as he grabbed for his pistol and brought it up in front of him. he stayed sitting, still half hidden in his cover and knowing if the enemy was in front of him he would already be too late.

"Whose there? show yourself," Anderson commanded. it fell silent for a moment, the sound of distant gunfire echoing through the dilapidated parking structure.

"We did not come to harm you," a mechanical voice rang out in front of him. For a moment Anderson saw nothing, but then the air began to shift like a mirage. A Geth came into sight. it was a hunter, dark and big and its weapon holstered against its back. the light swiveled back and forth rapidly as Anderson stared in alarm at it. "We came in the name of Jane Shepard."

Anderson blanched for a moment before scrambling to his feet, gun still trained on the Geth.

"Jane sent you?"

"No. She does not know we are here. Volunteered to come under the suggestion of Legion and an agreeing consensus. Jane Shepard is our friend and we are here to help."

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Author's Note: Sorry it has been so long. I am a horrible author and I am sorry. Starting next month i will be posting a chapter on the 29th of every month. Im sorry it is at the end of each month but my muse for this story had been very illusive as of late. its my brother kicking me in the ass all the time that has been motivating me to finish the chapters and the messages that i get from you guys. I also have to apologize if there are more mistakes than normal because my computer died and i am now borrowing my dads old laptop that doesnt have word so i am writing it in my email account and saving it there. I won't give up on this story i promise, the characters mean to much to me for me to up and abandon them. And i know i used the crucible, but dont worry i got a plan...hehehe.


	38. Chapter 37

Jane hurried into the comm room, punching the blinking message button as soon as she reached the rooms control panel. the message's blue pixels flickered for a moment before Aria's face materialized, her intense eyes uncharacteristically filled with unhidden worry.

"Is everything alright?" Jane asked at the look on her friend's face. Aria hesitated as she steeled herself, her voice starting out one octave higher than normal before cracking back to normal.

"You know i'm not one to ask for help but... shit Jane i need your help on this."

"What is it? Did something happen on Omega?"

"No. It's... it's my mother."

Jane froze, eyes going wide in shock. there had only been one time Aria had ever talked about her mother. they had both been extremely drunk, had just won a bar brawl, and were nursing their wounds with a bottle of serrice ice brandy. She had learned Aria was the daughter of a priestess and the two hadn't talked much since Aria turned one hundred.

"Reapers touched down on Thessia four days ago. Twelve hours ago all communications were lost with the temple and all routes seem to have been severed to ground troops. They're overwhelmed Jane...and I know I might not have the best relationship with her, but she is my mother and i want her back. there are four other priestesses and if you can get to them..."

"I'll have the support from the Asari to help get Earth back," Jane finished.

"I'll guarantee it."

"I've never been to Thessia before," Jane answered, "I can't wait to see it."

"It reeks of old tradition," Aria said. She fell silent for a moment, her eyes falling downcast before she looked back up to Jane.

"Thanks Jane. I owe you one."

"It's more like five, but who's counting," Jane said with a small laugh before Aria chuckled and cut the transmission.

Jane made her way back out to the bridge, feet dragging slightly as she came to a stop behind Joker's chair. she rested an arm on the high back, gaze staring out at the stars and the endless black that surrounded them. the console flashed and beeped with another hail, Joker reaching out to answer it.

"This is the Normandy," Joker answered instinctively.

"It's Admiral Hackett, put Commander Shepard on the line."

"I'm right here Admiral," Jane answered with an unseen eyeroll.

"We've just got word from Thessia and..."

"They've gotten cut off from their temple and need assistance in retrieving their priestesses. I'm one step ahead of you Hackett. Heading there now."

And with that she reached passed Joker and ended the transmission.

"Did you just hang up on the Admiral?" Joker asked in disbelief.

"Yes i did."

He laughed. "See that's why you're my favorite. So...Thessia?"

"Thessia."

0000000000000000

Jane gripped the crossbar tightly as she waited just inside the shuttle's door. The vehicle rocked violently as an explosion went off outside. She turned minutely and looked over her shoulder at the pilot as he cursed under his breath.

"Everything alright Steve?" Jane asked as she scratched nonchalantly at her chin.

"Everything's fine Commander. The LZ is a little hot, but i'll get you down," Steve replied.

She gave an unseen nod to her pilot and turned towards the three other passengers in the shuttle. Kaidan was sitting restlessly in one of the jump seats, head tilted back against the headrest, Kasumi sitting zen-like beside him. Sticks stood a few feet away, his gaze glued to a monitor mounted on one of the walls. Jane walked over to him, the turian not bothering to acknowledge her verbally. He just shifted slightly, making enough room for her to saddle up next to him and see what he was looking at. The platform for their landing was under heavy fire and dozens of asari were fighting valiantly to hold the position.

"It's pretty busy down there," Sticks said quietly, his attention going to his friend. Jane let out a small sigh.

"It could be worse," she replied.

"You're right about that. At least there aren't any big worms."

"No," Jane said with a soft smile, "Just a few ten story high squid and their army of creepy undead."

"It's nothing we can't handle."

Jane let out a small, rough snort before looking up at Sticks. He smiled, his purple eyes soft and kind.

"Thank you," Jane said suddenly, "for being here."

"You can't get rid of me," Sticks said pointing to the spot at her side, "I'll always be right here."

Jane let out a small laugh,"forever?"

"Fortunately for you that's a yes."

The shuttle rocked violently as it touched down at the landing zone, Jane reaching back and unholstering her assault rifle as the bay door opened. She jumped out quickly, the others following her. Jane banged on the outside hull and watched for a moment as Cortez ascended into the sky, the gust of air from the thrusters smacking at her face.

The chaos she had been viewing through the small screen was nothing compared to stepping into the thick of it. She hadn't been able to hear the sounds of firing guns, the hideous noise that echoed from the reapers, and the cries of pain and suffering. And the stench of death was heavy in the smoke filled air. A violent hit from an artillery blast shook the platform. Jane rocked, one boot stepping back to steady her footing. She looked toward the origin of the blast. A small barricade was set up, beaten and battered cargo crates, manned by two Asari that looked like they had been at their post for over seventy-two hours. The ground around them was riddled with empty shell casings and ration wrappers. One in black and yellow armor fell back into cover, her head coming to rest on one of the crates as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Jesus, when was the last time any of them got any rest?" Kaidan asked from beside her. His gun had fallen to rest against his muscled thigh.

"Four days, more for most," A voice rang out from behind them. Jane's mouth fell in surprise before she turned hastily to face the owner. An Asari woman was standing ten feet away from them, not looking a day over 100. Her skin was a light purple, face covered in an overwhelming amount of pale freckles. Electric blue eyes stared out at her from behind long, dark armor was light blue, more heavy webbed fabric than plating, and on her right breast was the symbol for Spectre. A small smile graced her lips. "They'll sleep when their ddd...dd..ead. Right, jjjj...Jane?"

Jane blinked once more, not believing her eyes. "Glitch!"

Glitch gave a small nod in answer at her friend's surprise. Jane took a hesitant step forward before she slammed into the Asari with a strong hug. Glitch returned the hug, the smile never leaving her face. Jane pulled back a moment later, her hands gripping at Glitch's shoulders.

"How long has it been? I think the last time I saw you was at your induction ceremony into the spectres."

"Yes," Glitch replied, "four years."

Another explosion shook the platform, sending them all to their knees. Jane covered her head instinctively, waiting twenty seconds before she finally lowered them and looked around for a damage report. The platform was still holding, but that barricade was now only manned by one Asari, blood oozing from a fresh wound on her cheek.

"So who do I meet up about saving your priestesses?" Jane asked as she got back to her feet, nonchalantly brushing off dust from the left shoulder of her armor. "I assumed there was a contact."

"That www..wwould be mmmme," Glitch started, "The commanding officer was killed this mmmmorning."

Jane let out a small tsk at the loss. She looked around the platform one more time and then over her shoulder at Kaidan that was flanking her. He looked distraught as he stood amid the chaos. It wasn't his first time, and wouldn't be the last, but the wear and tear was starting to show in his eyes and the grey that was peppering the brilliant black hair around his temples. His gaze landed upon hers and didn't hesitate to give her a reassuring nod.

"Last I heard all routes were severed to the temple," Jane said as she looked back at Glitch.

"Not all," Glitch responded before her hands went to work on her omni-tool. A schematic jumped from the device, hovering and rotating above her wrist. It was a network of tunnels, their design, a confusing and elaborate labyrinth.

"Is that an underground tunnel system?" Kaidan asked as he took a step forward, stopping beside Jane.

"Yes," Glitch replied, "it leads right to the ttttem..temple. I will go with you. You won't make it without a ggg...guide."

"But what about this position? Shouldn't they have a commander here to lead while they hold the line?" Sticks asked, getting a condescending look from the Asari.

"Seventy-five percent of them aaaare huntresses. They know what they're dddooing."

"Fair enough," Sticks said as she shrugged his shoulders. "So where's the entrance?"

"I believe we're standing on it," Kasumi said. She was standing behind all of them quietly, arms crossed over her chest as her right foot tapped lightly on the cover of a manhole. The cover was covered with intricate designs and swirls that were weather beaten and stained with time and rain.

"Right," Sticks said as he walked over the the manhole. he reached down, and slipped his fingers into the handle groove and yanked on it. It didn't budge. He tried one more time with no effect. He looked up at Kaidan then. "A little help here?"

"Sure," Kaidan answered as he jumped to action, reaching down and grasping the other handle groove. They pulled on it together and the cover came loose, sending them both staggering back a step. Sticks let go of the thing and it clattered to the ground. He walked back to the whole and peered inside. It was pitch black and the old ladder leading down into it looked about to crumble at the hint of a breath.

He looked up at Jane and grinned as he gestured to the hole. "Ladies first."

Jane scoffed and shook her head before snapping on the light on her assault rifle and jumped into the hole, bypassing the ladder altogether.


	39. Chapter 38

The drop was longer than she had anticipated and the further down she went the only thing that raced through Jane's mind was one thing, a simple word. _Shit_. She swung her gun forward, the light at the end illuminating the oncoming ground. Jane felt a small jerk before she was enveloped by a light blue orb, stopping her ascent. She looked up towards the opening of the hole, four heads silhouetted by the red sky.

"Can't you do it like everyone else?" Sticks called out, his head shaking in what she would only interpret as amusement. Jane went to call back, but her ribs screamed out in protest, sending a lick of fire up her side and into her armpit. She steadied herself and took a slow breath through her nose before calling out.

"That would be boring."

A collective laugh floated down towards her as someone climbed in the manhole and onto the ladder, followed promptly by the rest. She watched as Sticks held her suspended in midair, the biotic blue accentuating the fading bruises on her face. Sticks hit dirt first, lowering her down as Kasumi and Glitch climbed off the ladder, Kaidan still only finished with half the descent.

The skies of Thessia were unlike they had ever been. The once radiant pinks and greens that were poised behind gleaming magnificent spires unrivaled by any others in the galaxy were quaking with pain and destruction. Black and red, violent and noisy. The chaotic colors spilled down on Kaidan in an ominous glow as the others waited patiently for him in the entrance of the tunnel.

"One step at time huh big guy?" Sticks teased glancing over at Jane and winking playfully.

"I didn't know you were in such a rush Sticks. These dank sewers conjuring up some feelings of nostalgia?" Kaidan called back.

Sticks let out a deep laugh from his belly that reverberated echos a short distance down the dark tunnel. The thick moist walls didn't provide much of a playing ground for bouncing vibrations, which would be to their benefit since the plan was to go unnoticed.

"Glitch you take point since you know the layout of the tunnels," Jane started, getting an affirmative nod from her friend. "Sticks…"

"Let me guess, Kaiden and I behind you and Kasumi watching our tail?" He said stealing the words out of her mouth. "Jane, I know you better than you-"

A huge explosion rocked above them. Jane brought her chest to her knees and clasped her fingers over her ponytail to protect her head. Glitch who was closest to the entrance dove towards Jane pulling herself into a somersault and rolling on her shoulders before springing back to her feet. Chunks of ornately carved stone fell into the opening, causing it to cave in on itself and blocking their exit.

"Kasumi!" Kaiden shouted, voice panicked and terrified.

Jane's heart sunk into her chest. Dust billowed in the tunnel, blanketing them all in a fine layer as Jane tried to make out the number of shapes around her.

"Kasumi!" Kaidan desperately shouted. His voice being swallowed by the algae and debris.

"Oops, sorry! Sorry Sorry!" A charmingly effeminate voice rang from down the tunnel."You guys ok?"

"Kasumi!" Kaiden's sigh falling out of him as he ran over to her. "Don't do that to me."

Jane was just able to make out a pink tinge on Kasumi's hooded face as the dust settled and cleared.

Sticks scratched the back of his neck and looked at Jane, her eyes wandering curiously from the walls to the floor to the walls again.

"W-w-well, sh-sh-shall we?"

"Good idea," Jane and Sticks said in unison.

They made their way through the labyrinth as muffled screams, gunfire, and explosions thudded over their heads not letting them forget the danger that lurked around them. The ground and walls were stone. They carried algaes and mosses that chilled the air and made it invigorating. Jane had traveled many places in the galaxy but never had she breathed such vitalizing air, and to think, they were only in the sewers. It was no wonder the Asari had the lifespans they did.

"W-w-watch yyyour st-t-tep." Glitch warned. Her armored hand landing flat on Jane's worn N6 chestplate.

The pathway they stood on appeared to be a bridge intersecting over another pathway.

"O-o-o-k. Once we drop ddddown we're gggoing to head sssssouth about one hunddddred meters a-a-and we'll be at the entrance," Glitch said before she dropped to the pathway below.

Jane quickly followed suit, her landing loud and graceful as she took a step for balance. Kaidan let out a grunt as he landed, Sticks the loudest and Kasumi had been as noisy as Glitch...not a sound at all.

A shattering screech bounced off the walls of the dark labyrinth. It's source being illuminated by the tunnel entrance where they were headed. Blue light danced in the gloom, the all too familiar color of biotics sending an icy chill down Jane's back. The creature was seven feet tall, arms elongated and belly protruding as if it carried something in it's womb. It was naked and blue, a deathly blue that only made the black eyes seem more menacing as it stared at them from down the tube. It's mouth fell open again, elongating unnaturally as another shattering scream filled the tunnel around them.

"What the fuck is that?" Jane exclaimed as she pulled her rifle out of it's holster and to the ready. She knew what it was, it looked like one of them, just perverted and dead.

"It's an Asari," Kasumi answered, her eyes never leaving the creature.

"It screams like a damn Banshee," Sticks muttered beside Jane.

Suddenly the thing disappeared, sending a wave of panic through all of them. Then it was back just as sudden, but ten feet closer.

"What the…" Kaidan started, but was stopped short as the Banshee raised one of its decrepit arms. They all froze, not a breath taken, before a blue orb of quivering energy shot from her hand and headed right for them.

"Take cover," Jane demanded as she dove for cover behind a huge chunk of ceiling that had fallen earlier, Glitch and Sticks hitting dirt right beside her.

The orb narrowly missed her, crackling in the air as if it was made of lightning. She watched as it collided with a piece of debris, smashing into it so hard the cement webbed at the impact. Jane cursed quietly to herself as she scrambled to her feet, swinging her gun up and squeezing off a few shots. They bounced harmlessly off of her, the impact of the bullets making the otherwise invisible barrier around the creature dance condescendingly.

"Dammit," Jane yelled, "hit that thing with some biotics."

She didn't have to speak twice before Sticks sent out a reave, followed by Kaidan's warp and lastly Glitch sent out a shockwave. The Banshee staggered as it's barrier disintegrated. Jane quickly retaliated with a hail of bullets, one well placed shot to the cranium sending the thing to its back.

"And suddenly that seemed too easy," Kasumi said, wary eyes searching the darkness that seemed to be closing in around them.

"Just keep your eyes peeled for anymore of them. It was only one. more than that and we'll be in trouble," Jane said as she got closer to the Banshee. She stopped for only a moment to look down at it before she side-stepped the body and continued on down the tunnel, waving for Glitch to take point.

They hurried towards the end of the tunnel, crouching near the inside of the opening where the banshee was standing when they first laid eyes on it.

"Judging by the debris and the black marks on the walls and the ceiling, I'd say the doorway was blown open," Kaidan keenly noted as he settled into cover just behind the fractured door jam. He wasn't wrong. The body an armored asari was right on the other side of the doorway, partly charred and mangled from the explosion.

"I thought we were the only ones that had come down here?" Kasumi asked.

Jane crouched down beside the body, reaching out tentatively. At her touch, the shoulder of the dead Asari crumbled. She looked up at Glitch who was watching with a worried brow. The blast that had taken the door wouldn't have caused that much damage to the body. Something more serious had gone on here, and quite a long time ago.

"A commando party was ddd..dispatched on the firrst day. They were nnnn..nnever reported iiiin," Glitch answered.

"I smell a trap," Sticks said quietly, his gaze scanning the path in front of them.

Jane stood stiffly, eyes wary and back rigid with uneasiness. Something was wrong, insanely wrong, and she felt like they were all getting caught with their pants down. She wasn't the only one that was feeling it. Glitch's utter silence and in the way Sticks' mandibles twitched sporadically told her so.

The entrance to the temple glowed red, flashing silently from an alarm that had screamed its last ring days ago. But the eerie, pulsating light remained, casting everything in unfriendly shadows. Jane stood, steeling herself as she stepped away from the body. She stopped to listen, the only noise being from the even breathing of her soldiers. When nothing pierced the wavering silence she stepped forward again, debris crunching under her boot as she stepped past Kaidan and into the sacred ruins.

Author's Note: Another earlier chapter. YAY. I should have made a deadline a long time ago. Thanks for the reviews and new readers and the new faves and followers, they're all appriciated very much. Hope you keep enjoying it.


	40. Chapter 39

He watched the red lights pulse down upon her, casting her in an ominous glow. She looked like a harbinger of death as she continued farther into the room, holding up one hand for them to stay put. Her eyes were hooded, blinking with shadow, her gun raised and steadied against her shoulder. Jane Shepard was nothing, if not a predator, and she was magnificent in being so.

Jane crouched down, reaching out tentatively towards a black puddle on the ground before her. She pulled her hand back and smeared the liquid between her gloved thumb and index finger. She smelt it quickly before standing and wiping it off on the thigh of her armor. She looked back towards them taking cover in the doorway and motioned them forward. Sticks was the first out talking position at the left flank as Kasumi took the right.

"Blood?" Glitch asked in a whisper as she came to a stop beside Jane.

Jane nodded. "And a lot of it. It's pretty congealed. A couple hours old. You said commandos were sent here the first day you lost communication?"

"Yes. Lost communica-t-t-tion within forty m-m-minutes of their a-a-arrival."

"Still. A whole commando unit? They should have been able to neutralize the problem or at least get the survivors into a defensive position and hold until backup came."

"Something took them by surprise? They could have been over run by those Banshee's," Kaidan said from his spot right behind Jane. His back was to her, gun pointed into the alternating darkness of the doorway they had just vacated.

Jane was silent for a moment, her gaze taking in the landscape and how void of battle markings it was. Nothing screamed a fight except the charred entrance they had come through. 'We need to go further in. Look for some type of evidence on what happened here. Stick to the main objective though and look for survivors."

"Should we split up?" Kaidan asked.

"No. Lets stick together on this one. I don't want us to get separated and run into one of those things again. It took four of us to take one down. Form up and stay tight. We'll search the place room to room."

They tightened their group, set their weapons to the ready and headed deeper into the ruins, followed by an eerie silence that made Sticks feel cold down to his bones. Silence unnerved him more than the sound of gunfire could ever do.

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Jane walked into the eighth room, light on the end of her gun sweeping through the small quarters. It was a quaint room with two desks and four personal computers atop them. The machines were sleeping, their power buttons slowly fading in and out in a soft computer blue. The room was untouched, not a desk chair out of place. Jane held up a hand for the others to stay in the doorway as she took another step in.

A rustle to her left had her swinging her gun in the direction of the noise, the light catching on the very edge of a piece of elaborate fabric before it was pulled underneath the desk the farthest from the door. Jane looked back to the four in the hall, signalling that there was something in the room. She moved forward again, placing one foot silently in front of the other as she made her way around the desk and to the other side. She stopped, crouched and pointed, finger steady on the trigger.

An Asari sat crouched underneath the desk, arm raised in front of her face to block the light of the gun. Her gold gown was torn and soiled, blood soaking the left side of the dress down at the leg.

"It's okay," Jans said, lowering her weapon towards the ground, the light dimming as it reflected off the paneled floor. "I'm here to help you."

The Asari lowered her arm slowly, blue eyes staring out at her from over the torn sleeve. Her skin was purple and pale, a black tattooed arch on her forehead connecting her eyebrows. The Asari lowered her arm completely at the sight of Jane. She said nothing for a moment, just stared at Jane as if she had never seen a human before.

"Are you injured?" Jane asked as she looked over the desk quickly and motioned for the others to come inside the room. Sticks and Kaidan stayed at the door, guarding the entrance as Kasumi and Glitch made their way to Jane. Jane crouched down again.

"My leg was badly wounded. I took sanctuary here after I was injured," the Asari replied, her voice strong and raspy, though tiredness laced each word spoken.

"How long ago were you injured?" Jane asked.

"About eight hours ago. The bleeding stopped, but I can't move it much."

"What's your name?" Jane inquired as she moved slightly aside so Glitch could assess the severity of the wound.

"I am Priestess Sankara T'Lok," she responded, her chin tilting up slightly.

Jane let out a small laugh of relief. "Just who I was looking for."

Sankara furrowed her brow, prompting and explanation from Jane. "Your daughter sent me."

"You know Aria?" Sankara inquired, getting an affirmative nod from Jane.

"She's an old friend. Asked me if I could come get you."

"Aria doesn't ask for anything."

Jane cracked a smile. "She does. It's just rare and comes out sounding more like a threat than anything else."

Jane fell silent as Sankara let out a hiss of discomfort at Glitch's probing. Glitch looked over at Jane, worry filling her gaze.

"Not good, huh?" Jane asked and Glitch just shook her head before she reached into the pack at her hip and pulled out a small, green medi-gel.

"We need to g-g-get her out of h-h-her-re."

Jane looked back to the priestess, their eyes locking. "Are there any other survivors?"

"No," she responded. " I was the last one. Most of them were taken out by the big one. Then the monsters came and destroyed the rest...or turned them into...I don't know what."

"Big one? What do you mean big one?" Jane asked, quelling the uneasy panic rising inside her.

A tremor rocked the room, sending Jane from her crouch to her knees. Everything went still for a moment before another tremor rocked the building, followed quickly by another.

"Jane," Kadian said from the doorway, voice strained, "we've got company."

Jane shot to her feet and made for the doorway, gun drawn and ready. She faltered for a moment when she caught sight of it, her brain not believing what her eyes were seeing. She walked forward slowly, going out the door and stopping beside Kaidan and Sticks. Through the thirty foot panoramic window stood what Jane could only describe as a large mechanical squid. Its legs were spread out to support its weight, one step rocking the whole structure once again. A large red eye was viewable from behind its retracted face plates, dilating and contracting. It let out a deafening roar, deep and mechanical, the noise making Jane take a step back .

"Holy shit."

Jane took a step backwards before she turned fully and raced towards the desk and the three women surrounding it. She stopped and looked down at Sankara.

"We need to get out of here. Can you walk?"

Sankara went to move, but let out a yelp before falling back to the floor. The strength and adrenaline had left her, leaving only pain and fatigue. The Asari looked up at Jane, a defeated look on her flawless face.

"I cannot. Even if I could, I would only slow you down. Leave me here. I'll be with the Goddess soon."

"No," Jane interjected. "No one gets left behind." She looked to the boys in the doorway, Sticks looking back at her and Kaidan's gaze on the reaper. "We need to make our way back towards the tunnel system. Sticks can you carry her?"

Sticks said nothing as he walked over. He stopped and crouched in front of her, holstering his weapon. He stretched his hand out to her, a welcoming look on his face.

"May I?"

Sankara was silent for a moment before she nodded her head. He moved closer before pulling her gently to him, picking her up as he stood, cradling her in his arms as she wrapped her thin arms around his neck.

"Light as a feather," Sticks said.

"Okay. Kaidan, Glitch you take point. Sticks stay in the middle and Kasumi and I will take the rear. We need to get to the tunnels as fast as possible. Once we hit topside I'll call Cortez for a pick up at the LZ."

The round of affirmatives she received were short and muttered, no one hesitating as they made their way into the hall and into formation. The reaper was three hundred feet from the window, huge and domineering, something right out of an unimaginable nightmare.

"Move out."

They were in motion, guns drawn at the ready and sweeping the path in front of them as they made it for the sanctuary of the tunnels. The reaper gave out another roar and suddenly the hallway was filled with an illuminating red light. Jane turned quickly, watching as the things eyes dilated and grew brighter. Eye's going wide she screamed one word.

"RUN!"

Kaidan, Glitch and Sticks cleared the poor protection of the window and made their way into a lobby. A horrendous shake shattered the window, followed by a searing heat at their heels as a beam of red shot from the reaper and tore at the building. The hallway shuttered and cracked around them, separating from the rest of the building. Jane scrambled forward as the hallways began to fall away, Kasumi struggling beside her. Jane reached out, weapon dropping as her hand caught hold of the broken edge of the hallway. A falling piece of ceiling connected with Kasumi's side, knocking her from her feet. She scrambled for purchase as she slid down the falling piece of hallway, her hand catching on Jane's side holster.

Jane felt her hands slipping at the extra weight, the muscles straining in her fingers as she tried desperately keep hold.

"You got me?" Jane asked Kasumi as she looked down at her friend. Kasumi said nothing as she grabbed at Jane with her other hand, nothing below them but black. Jane felt hands grab at her elbows, drawing her attention the the person who had hold of her. Kaidan lay on the broken piece of hallway left, Glitch standing over him.

"I got you," he said, his gaze falling away from Jane and to Kasumi hanging precariously at Jane's waist.

"Kasumi, climb up," Jane yelled. The girl didn't hesitate as she pulled herself up, using every bit of Jane she could before Glitch reached out and pulled her to safety. Glitch reached out for Jane as Kaidan let got of one of her arms, the two pulling Jane onto solid ground. Jane fell to the ground, breath ragged as she let out a curse. She staggered to her feet as she walked towards where Sticks waited in the lobby.

"Lets get the fuck out of here."

They nodded, falled into formation and beat feet for the tunnels.

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Author's Note: Sorry it's a little late. I've been doing a lot of traveling lately among other things. But here it is and Happy Halloween.


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